


Can Anybody Hear Me?

by BlueEyedArcher



Series: Outlast One-Shots [50]
Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: Aftercare, Alien Biology, Alien Colony, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Studies, Alien Technology, Alien anatomy, Alien/Human Relationships, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Scientists, Alternate Universe - Space, Astronaut!Waylon, Astronauts, Attempted Murder, Caretaking, Corruption, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dying planet, Fluff and Angst, Foster Care, Grief/Mourning, Hallucinations, Human Experimentation, Human Pet, Humans are squishy, Hurt/Comfort, Lost in space - Freeform, M/M, Medical Examination, Medical Procedures, Minor Character Death, Murder, Orphans, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Punishment, Rebellion, Sensory Deprivation, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Solar System, Space Exploration, Stranded, Studying Humans, Survival of the Fittest, Xenophilia, weddie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-03-15 00:17:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13601511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedArcher/pseuds/BlueEyedArcher
Summary: Lone Astronaut and Engineer Waylon Park sets out on a solo mission to repair several damaged satellites around earth's orbit. Upgrading, repairing and exchanging parts so they continue to broadcast signal around the globe. This being his second trip on a mission like this with his aim being to finish his task within a month's time and hitch a ride back to earth when the next crew from the ISS makes their return trip home. Easy enough until a week into his mission and his radar fails to notify him of the asteroids flying right into his path, colliding with his ship and leaving him stranded and drifting aimlessly.A friendly face comes to his rescue but the stranger is unusual and unlike anyone on the ISS crew. Like Waylon he is also alone but his mission is unclear. The Astronaut is unaware of the dangers that this stranger brings with his presence or the secrets that will be discovered involving him and the rest of humanities fate.





	1. Can Anybody Hear Me?

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first sci-fi outer space piece. Normally my interests lie in the supernatural and the fantasy but I've decided to stretch my wings and explore other genres and themes. After listening to a few songs and Astronaut by Simple Plan played late one night and this scenario played in my head. It was too good to ignore and after writing a summary on the piece, a few of my followers were eager to discuss the idea and it formed a full on story in my mind. I hope this turns out well. I went on a trip for a week and my writer's block set in in the absence of writer, stalling my creative flow. This was what I decided to try to kick start it with and I certainly hope it is satisfying. I'm actually really excited about this idea. 
> 
> Please leave a comment down below about what you think. Thank you!
> 
> (P.S. - I took some creative liberties with the technology and appearance of the ships mentioned. Inspired off of past NASA tech and current tech. I wanted to give it a more futuristic or updated feel. This is science fiction after all.)

**  
** “Can anybody hear me? Hello?” The man’s voice was frantic over the com-link, trying to reach ground control. “Houston? Anybody? Hello!” He was greeted with just radio static as he hit several other switches and calibrated dials, hoping he wouldn’t have to leave his capsule to fix his com system. His eyes glanced out  over the open expanse of space, the debris of an asteroid that collided with his ship just moments ago was disappearing into the distance. A few panels of his heat shield were drifting in space as well, something he had to fix if he wanted to return home without becoming a giant fireball inside and out. **  
**

 

“Houston! Hello?” He called into his mic, his hands frantically going through all com link malfunction protocols but nothing was working. “Please for the love of god, somebody answer me!” He mumbled. “Houston? Please! I’m dead in the water out here. My thrusters are damaged and communications are down. Houston Mission Control! Hello!” He cried out into the speakers but was greeted with only silence.

 

He curled his fingers into fists, cursing loudly as he removed his mic set and pushed himself out of the cockpit seat. He didn’t have any other choice right now except to try to go out and fix it himself. His capsule was small, a repair unit that addressed any satellites damaged by passing meteors or asteroids. He wasn’t expecting to be struck since ground control gave no heads up or warning. His own radar malfunctioned and didn’t warn him until it was too late to get out of its path.

 

He passed by a mirror as he glided by towards the back of the capsule where his exterior suit was. Stopping to give the photo taped to the mirror a small kiss. The image depicting a brunette woman with a large smile on her face, he slender form against a backdrop of a lake. A summer trip he took with the love of his life before he was informed of this upcoming mission. His pale blue eyes moved to look up in the mirror, the weary expression of the stress these last couple days was showing on his normally strong and fair features. He had a charming face, that made him seem far younger than he really was. Though he was in his early thirties he often was mistaken for as a college student still which was fine for him. He was never prideful of his appearance, just the typical nerdy kid in the robotics club. Now he was the nerdy kid lost in space.

 

He ran his fingers through his messy short blonde locks. He had been out here for about a week now and never had he thought things would go so badly. His first mission was simple and easy. He made several trips to different satellites to fix any damage and update their systems so they kept functioning. Any parts that might be worn down or ready to expire, he replaced. It was easy enough and he ran it by himself just like now. But by the end he would hook up with a crew that was leaving the ISS and was on their way back to earth, connecting his capsule so the return would be safer.

 

He hadn’t even made it to his first checkpoint and was already in a dangerous situation. He wouldn’t make it another month like this until the crew from ISS comes to collect him. He went to the storage space and honed into the one marked with his name on the front. Pilot Waylon Park. It wasn’t much considering this was a solo man mission but when he links up with the other crew, it gives him a niche to slip into so he can help out and do his job with a larger group. Pretty much standing as the engineer, in charge of system repairs and can be acting copilot or can take over as a full on pilot. He had training in both. He was adaptable and could fit any position necessary of him. It was required in these kinds of situations.

 

Once he was geared up and ready to go, he attached his safety cable and exited the side door. It was a slow crawl to get from the door to where the majority of the damage was. His suit had his equipment belt built into the side so it wasn't a problem that required fussing with a tool pack and each was attached by a stretchy cable, should he let go of his tool, it'll just zip back to his belt. He used side grips to move along the shuttle and get where he was going until he reached a section of damaged heat panels. It was near the back where his thrusters were, one of which was bent at an odd angle impairing any kind of flight direction. Sort of like when a toy car has one wheel stuck in place while the others work, it'll just make him go in circles or a wounded angle. That leads to a waste of fuel and an extension of time. Calculated risks that could mean the end of him.

 

He wasn't very certain as to how he was going to fix the damaged thruster but he knew he had to get his com-link working first and foremost. Without that, he was a goner. It didn't take very long for Waylon to reach the damaged area and he started piecing together what he could. Making a mental checklist of parts he'd need from inside the ship and some he would have to rig up himself and make due with. He was about to turn back towards the door, using his cable to return when he spotted movement in his peripheral vision. He turned to get a better look as pale blue orbs widened.

 

His hands gripped the side paneling as tightly as he could just as another asteroid collided with his ship. Hitting another thruster and turning him at an angle. Two more followed the same trajectory and smashed into the nose of his ship then hit near the door, smashing the device holding his cable and sending his ship topsy turvy from the momentum. He cried out as his cable whipped him around the belly of his capsule as it rolled and slammed him against the side paneling. The jerking of the cable made it start to give way, the broken portion springing loose from his anchoring point just as another asteroid hit, this one was dead on, knocking him against the side of the ship as spiders cracks started to form on the exterior of his helmet. The cable broke loose completely, sending him drifting off away from his ship.

 

“N-no!” He gasped, grabbing wildly for anything he could. Debris from his ship littered his surroundings as he floated away. His eyes were blurry and stung, the scent of something metallic lingered in the air. He felt the dampness dripping down his neck as his vision grew fuzzy and inevitably darker. Until he could see nothing more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waylon opened his eyes slowly, hearing the far too close and very familiar sound of a drill buzzing into a metal surface. His surroundings were dimly lit by monitor lights, computer screens set to idle glowing in the darker room. Distant hammering sounds against a hard metal surface followed. It sounded like the noises of a machine shop, reminding him of times spent in his high school robotics club. A fond memory that flickered by his otherwise disoriented and confused mind. It took him a few minutes to recall his troubles as he jolted upright, looking around with wide eyes, half expecting to be floating in the endless void.

 

He was confused when he gazed around and found the room was reminiscent of his pod. His body, stripped down to his blue flight suit, was cradled in a specialized seat meant for sleeping in, complete with special straps and belts to hold one in place during zero gravity. There was a mesh netting that was clipped over him from the waist down. His pale blue orbs gazed around the room in question, not feeling the absence of gravity at all. In fact, it felt like he was in a training module back home. As he gave the room another glance, he saw his damaged suit lying a netted compartment, the helmet cracked on the front and red stains over the glass. His brows creased in confusion, drawing a slight stinging pain from the side of his head. He moved his hand to touch where it started and found bandages taped over his temple and the skin beneath was sore and tender to touch.

 

 

A shiver running through him as he considered just how close he was to being lost forever. He reached down and removed the netting that held him in the cradle. Taking a careful step out, he tested his strength to see if he could move on his own. He was unsteady for a brief moment, gripping the sides of the bed before he pushed upright and away and took the first couple steps. He used the wall to move along, mindful of the fixtures and any switches so as not to accidentally trigger something. He wondered if maybe he was picked up by the other crew already or maybe if they had found him drifting. Either way, he owed them his life.

 

The entryway to the room was left open, but the sounds from earlier had fallen silent. Only the soft hum of the electronics inside disturbed the otherwise peaceful surroundings. It was so familiar to Waylon, so comfortable like his own ship but he knew well enough with the larger space he was in, that it wasn’t his. Though some of the technology in it replicated his ship, other parts looked a lot more up to date or even next gen. Some of it he recognized only as prototypes they were testing with another crew both back on earth and up at the ISS.

 

He paused as he stopped to inspect his suit. It had dark streaks across the previously white material. Rubbing his thumb over it, he knew it was from the collision rather it be from the asteroids or being dragged across the sides of the damaged ship. He could still feel the ache of being whipped around into one of the broken side panels. He knew his body was probably littered in marks from that incident but he was lucky to be alive and that’s all that mattered to him.

 

“You’re awake?” A deep yet honeyed voice interrupted his thoughts, drawing his attention towards the doorway. He never even heard the person enter. “You shouldn’t be up moving around yet. You took a rather nasty hit to the head.” The owner of the voice was a tall broad shouldered man. Incredibly so for someone in the space program. He knew there were some guys who were permitted at a height of up to six foot four. He himself was balancing on the line between six-one and six-two. But this man had a whole head and even part of his shoulders ahead of him. He wore a signature blue flight suit and if it wasn’t for the clear crisp English coming from his lips, he’s almost assume he was with the Russians. He gave his suit a glance and spotted the name plate with the signature wings and the mark of an engineer. It read  _Eddie Gluskin_  but no badge dictating his country of origin or the program he was with.  There was a strange symbol on the bicep of his suit but it looked like foreign squiggles or a cross between Arabic scripture and Japanese kanji.

 

He had sharp features, prominent cheekbones and eyes a shade of blue that Waylon has never seen anywhere but on specialty contact lenses. His raven hair was slicked back carefully in a neat undercut with the sides of his head shaved around it. Giving him a very clean and uniform look. He was extremely fit and well taken care of, especially for his size. Something that many astronauts struggle with due to the lack of gravity. Some still, despite exercising regularly have some muscle mass loss.

 

Waylon was at a loss for words as he took in the behemoth of a man towering over him. His presence didn’t feel threatening or intimidating, in fact he had a deeply concerned expression on his features when the blonde didn’t respond to him yet. Just staring with his jaw partly open in awe until Eddie spoke up. “Are you feeling alright? Maybe you should sit down.” He offered, his hand gesturing out towards the cradle like bed. “Please.” He spoke politely with a soft tone of sincerity.

 

Waylon nodded absently and backed up slowly before he finally turned around to see where he was going and sank back down into the bed. Producing a groan as his body ached as one solid protest against gravity. He closed his pale blue orbs and sighed, feeling something touch the side of his face, he flinched away to find the male crouched down before him, meeting him eye to eye. His fingers brushing over the bandaging before he paused his advanced. “Pardon my intrusion but I need to check your wound if you’ll let me.” Waylon was delayed before he gave a nod of understanding.

 

Eddie seemed hesitant to proceed until the techie gave a verbal response. “It’s alright. Go ahead.” The raven haired male nodded and carefully peeled back the bandaging to peek at the healing injury. A laceration had formed over his temple, skin split wide reaching down towards his brow. It was certain to leave a nasty scar in the future but Eddie managed to stitch it up all the same and halt the bleeding. He covered it right back up once satisfied. “I’m sorry.” Waylon murmured amidst the raven haired stranger’s inspection. He brushed the blonde locks away from the bandage and looked over the bruising along the side of Waylon’s face and behind his hairline.

 

“What is there to be sorry for?” Eddie asked, pausing his actions to sit back on his haunches and give Waylon his full attention. His deep blue eyes a whirlpool of depth that mesmerized the engineer and had him fall quiet once again.

 

It took him a moment before he could catch himself, clearing his throat before he continued speaking. “Oh, um, for not being the most responsive.”

 

“There is no need to apologize for that darling.” The male chirped as if he was expecting something more to come instead. He gave Waylon a reassuring smile and caressed his wounded cheek gently. “You have been through a very distressing experience. It is only natural for you to feel shaken up about it.”

 

Waylon noticed the comfortable ease at which the other spoke. Using a term of endearment so generically was strange for him but the other did seem to be foreign and so he let it slide. Some customs were strange to him that were perfectly natural to others and he accepted that. “Thank you.” He sighed, raising a hand to brush through his blonde locks and draw them out of his face. He felt the rise of heat in his throat, a small ache that swelled up. The stinging in his eyes soon followed. He tried his best to ignore it and force it back but he couldn’t for much longer. Not after the close call he had had. “I’m sorry.” He choked out quickly, curling up a bit on himself as he hid his face behind his hands, elbows resting on his knees when the tears came racing down his cheeks. He couldn’t swallow it anymore, the harsh sob breaking in his chest as he gave up.

 

Eddie didn’t seem at all fazed by this reaction, watching quietly as Waylon went through the stages of processing the outcome he very narrowly avoided. He placed a large gentle hand on the smaller male’s back and rubbed slow soothing circles around to reassure and calm him. Letting him cry until he felt comfortable again. Every sob left pain streaking through his skull, making his tears run in abundance. He didn’t realize the amount of time that had passed before he was finished but Eddie didn’t stop his comforting touch until Waylon was alright again. His head was pounding now, far worse the before, his throat was rough and he felt drained. Relaxing back into the cradle and staring a bit distantly at the opposite side of the room.

 

“Feel better?” Eddie asked from beside the bed, drawing Waylon’s attention as he blinked his bleary reddened and puffy eyes.

 

“Yeah.” He rasped. Normally he would be self conscious about another seeing him in a moment of weakness or breaking down but it’s just like Eddie had said. He had been through a distressing event and it was natural. He had to remind himself that. “Thank you, again.”

 

“You’re welcome, hm Waylon is it?” Eddie inquired, his eyes shifting from the blonde’s fatigued features towards the name badge on his flight suit. Waylon gave a nod of affirmation to which the dark haired male smiled in greeting. “You may call me Eddie.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you Eddie.” Waylon offered a smile in return. It was weak but he put up a valiant effort.

 

Eddie rose back up to his feet, resting his hands together in front of himself as he spoke once more. Seeming to consider what he wished to say briefly beforehand. “You should get some more rest.” He urged, moving towards the area where Waylon’s spacesuit was stored. He withdrew a first aid kit and opened it up, fingers fishing around inside until he came up with a blister pouch of pills. He tore one off of the pack and returned with long swift strides to Waylon’s side. “Here.” He handed the small tablet in it’s foil wrapping to the blonde then held up a hand to halt his advances as Eddie turned back towards the entryway. He disappeared while Waylon worked his fingers to peel the foil off and drop the pill into his palm. His pale blue eyes inspecting it as he rolled it over with his thumb.

 

He nearly dropped it when a bottle with a specialize valve was held in his peripheral vision. Eddie was standing right in front of him as once again Waylon failed to hear the large man’s return. It was like being in the presence of a tiger and never knowing it was there until it was about to pounce. He swayed the bottle in hand so the sloshing of water would sound. “You’re probably thirsty as well. That pill is for your headache and whatever other soreness you may be experiencing.” He explained.

 

Waylon accepted both with a mumbled appreciation. Tilting his head back as he dropped the pill into his mouth and squeezed the bottle to spout water into his mouth. He drank much more than what was necessary for the pill, letting the cooler liquid soothe his throat. He moved to hand the bottle back to Eddie when he was finished to which the male accepted and sat aside on a nearby shelf. There was mesh netting over that as well, a storage space for the personal items of the person sleeping in the cradle. There was a portion of it that could be unrolled from the sides beneath the mesh attachments that comes up around the subject like a sleeping bag. The cradle conforms to the body in a position that is most comfortable and the bag insulates body heat and provides additional warmth. The top portion was open at the shoulders allowing movement of the arms to get in and out of it. Waylon wasn’t accustomed to this type of device and so Eddie helped him figure it out. Reapplying the mesh over his lower half afterwards simply out of habit.

 

“Sleep well Waylon.” Eddie smiled once the blonde was all tucked into the cradle and turned out the lights, toning down the monitors in the room so their brightness wasn’t a bother. Waylon closed his eyes and relaxed back into the contraption, feeling the numbness provided by the medicine already setting in. A welcome relief that whisked him away to an easy slumber. Eddie lingered out of view to ensure his guest was doing well before exiting the room and sliding the door shut behind him.


	2. Dear Fellow Traveler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylon begins to explore more of what's going on. Asking questions and seeking answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill. Please leave a comment down below of what you think. ^.^

_ The shrill warning of his radar sounding, filling the small cramped space with the maddening noise. Jolting him from his daily routine and into a panic, slipping into the pilot seat just as the first asteroid struck the side of his ship, colliding with the transmitter panels and crushing one side in while the other end bowed and bent. Wedged shut. It scraped over the back of his ship and went on by. His body tossed around by the momentum as his ship was pushed off course. He gripped the steering console to try and reverse his position only for a second asteroid to crash into his fuel lodge and thruster, damaging it and knocking one off center. The other two were damaged as well but the first took a majority of it. Smaller pieces of rock hit his sides, causing the ship to tremble and shift. He fought the controls to try and ride it out the best he could. Monitors and small switches were lighting up all over the dash, alarms shrieked in the cockpit, making it hard to focus... _

  
  


“Here, you must be hungry.” The voice easily broke through the chaotic mess of his thoughts, jarring Waylon out of the memories that clung to him still. Thanks to the medicine he took earlier, provided by Eddie, he was able to get a decent amount of sleep without worry but his mind still couldn’t shake the incident. He was sitting in the same room as before, resting on the floor beside the cradle with his back pressed against it. His legs outstretched as he performed different positions and stretches to ease the knots and aches of his muscles after being knocked around like a human pinball.

 

“Thank you.” Waylon murmured, looking up at the dark haired male as he inspected the container being placed in front of him. It resembled a thermos with a hearty soup inside. The steam rising up off of it with an herbal aroma infiltrating his nostrils. His stomach grumbled for the first time in a while, his appetite revived. He didn’t really need a spoon, drawing his legs up to sit indian style on the floor, he held it with both hands, feeling the warmth through the sides as he sipped at the rich nutritious broth. His worries melted away as the broth ran down his throat to fill his belly. A pleasant hum in his throat, drawing a smile from Eddie. He leaned with his back against a center table currently cleared off of whatever projects had been resting on it. 

 

“How are you feeling?” He inquired, watching the blonde with intuitive blue orbs. 

 

They held such a depth to them that pulled at Waylon to return their gaze. As if he could let go and drown in them. It was almost frightening at times how they made him forget himself and his surroundings. “I’m feeling much better. I seriously can’t thank you enough.” He spoke between sips of the soup. Blowing on it every now and then before daring to drink more. His body visibly relaxing and unwinding as it reminded him of home. Of cold rainy days stretched out across his couch with a good book in hand and a piping hot cup of homemade soup to warm his soul. The silence stretched out with a few more uninterrupted sips before Waylon decided to return the conversation. Finding Eddie was the only one so far making any advances in extending it. “If you don’t mind my asking but I’ve had this on my mind since we met. What is your mission out here?”

 

Eddie seemed to pause, not expecting that question to arise. He didn’t seem distressed over it. Waylon assumed he might be wary of explaining the details to him if he is from another group. “Salvage and experimental studies.” Eddie stated simply when he finally spoke.

 

“Salvage?” Waylon was intrigued at this point. It was a very vague answer that urged him to try for a little more detail. “What kind of experimental studies?”

 

He spoke very carefully, watching his words and how he explained as if to avoid giving up too much information. While also trying to be as simple as possible in understanding. “It’s sort of complicated to explain but the basics involved recovering assets such as probes and satellites then repurposing them or collecting their data for analysis. I am also tasked with testing organic material from earth and putting it against the extreme environments replicated from other planets.” 

 

It sounded reasonable enough to Waylon though the ISS was doing much the same in their studies. He was curious as to why Eddie would be all the way out here and completely alone. Unless he was branching off of the ISS to do independent studies in a more controlled space. There was a lot of possibilities but before Waylon could address them with more questions, his head reminded him that his brain was currently limited to it’s thinking capacity with the concussion he was sporting from the incident. He set the soup down and raised a hand to caress the side of his head, wincing at the throbbing pain settling behind his eyes and around his point of injury.

 

“Hold on a moment please. I’ll get you some medicine.” Eddie didn’t waste time as he returned to the compartment with the first aid kit, withdrawing the same blister pack from before, tearing a small square dosage off and returning to Waylon with the same eerie silence as before. Making Waylon wish he could tie a bell to Eddie. “Here you are darling. Take this and relax.” He urged, kneeling beside him with a large hand resting on his shoulder while Waylon ripped open the foil piece and put the pill in his mouth, drinking it down with the remainder of his soup. He handed the empty thermos back to Eddie, his pale blue orbs taking in the fact that even while kneeling the man was like a bear compared to him. His hunkered down posture only made his bulk seem all the more frightening if it wasn’t for the fact he was a giant teddy behind it all. 

 

He helped Waylon back to his feet, drawing a wince from the male as he flexed his body and stretched out his back. An obnoxiously loud popping sound filled the otherwise quiet room. A pleased groan following before he returned to the cradle to take a break and recuperate. This time the sleeping bag attachment and mesh was unnecessary since Waylon wasn’t intending to fall asleep. Telling himself he was just going to rest his eyes a bit. “Sleep well Waylon.” Eddie bid like before, leaving the room after turning down the lights and monitor screens with a single switch. Shutting the door behind him to provide a bit of privacy and quiet to the wounded male. 

 

Waylon waited until he was sure Eddie wasn’t going to return before pushing himself back up out of the cradle and began to explore. He turned the lights back up a few small clicks, just enough to make out the writing on the compartments and labels on objects. Some of it was in the same strange language that was on Eddie’s patch on his arm. Some of it appeared to be translated into english below that making it a little easier on him. He ran into the more common problem of compartments and shelves being locked or coded. Some had actual key locks and some were just very complicated looking safety locks to prevent them from falling open during travel or turbulence. What he could get to was whatever was strapped behind mesh and netted compartments. The majority being clothes, the first aid kit and additional sleeping bags or heat insulation blankets. Other then that, there was his space suit which was completely useless due to its current state. He could fix some portions of it but he lacked the proper tools. Or tools of any kind. It forced him to resign his efforts and return to the cradle. Turning the lights down to near complete darkness, drowning himself in his thoughts as he ridiculed everything about this situation. 

 

He didn’t want to come across as ungrateful but the polite neighborly act had its limits, he just wondered how much longer Eddie was going to keep it up. Especially with him being stuck there in the man’s living and work space. A second person was not expected, at least that’s only what Waylon can assume. That’s twice as many people consuming oxygen, twice as many people occupying the same cramped space and twice as many people requiring sustenance. Sustenance that was not accounted for at the beginning of the mission. Unless Eddie managed to find and salvage Waylon’s ship, then he could count on his own supplies. That could hold him another month. From the sort of tasks Eddie was sent to perform, his mission must be a longer one meaning he will either have to accomplish them much sooner or will be forced to make a premature return to earth. 

 

“Earth….” Waylon whispered, the realization just dawning on him now. ‘ _ Eddie should have working communication with earth.’   _ He just needed to access it and contact Mission Control to provide an updated report on the situation.  _ ‘It shouldn’t be a problem to ask Eddie to use his radio system. If he truly means well, he’ll help me out.’  _ Waylon thought it over with a smile on his lips. His stress melting away with the newfound anticipation curling inside him. Part of him wanted to get up and ask Eddie right that moment but the rest of him, mind and body, was hit with an urge to sleep. He assumed it had to do with the darkness of the room and the comfortable numbness the medicine provided. Add to it a belly full of warm soup and he had a very small chance of fighting off the feeling. He saw no reason to and gave in with ease. Slipping into the grasp of dreams as they coaxed him under their waves.

  
  
  


“I’m sorry darling, but right now I’m out of range of the satellites. My transmissions won’t be able to reach earth from here.” Eddie assumed his usual spot leaning with his back against the table. His arms crossed nonchalantly, his posture relaxed and easy. Waylon was standing in front of him, feeling like a child being scolded or like a rabbit trapped by a predator if he were to remain sitting down. Though standing didn’t make much of a difference due to the sheer size of the man. 

 

“What do you mean? Why are you so far out of range?” Waylon was confused and feeling a little on edge with this information.

 

Eddie shook his head and sighed. “That cluster of asteroids that hit you wasn’t the only one. There are several more that have been passing earth and it’s too dangerous to get too close. To broadcast a signal, I’d have to remain stationary and vulnerable. I won’t be able to get out of the way fast enough to avoid any incoming asteroids.” Waylon huffed, looking a bit upset by this news. Eddie gave an apologetic look, straightening up as he rested a hand on Waylon’s shoulder once more. His tone was sympathetic. “Do not worry darling. It should clear up in a couple more days. We can contact them when it does.”

 

Waylon’s fingers curled into fists, feeling the frustration boiling inside him, reaching a point where he finally just deflated. Letting it out in a long deep exhale, shoulders slumping and head hanging in defeat. There was nothing he could really do if that were the case and he really didn’t want to experience that hell all over again. “Alright. I understand.” He raised a hand up to his face in exasperation, moving it across his cheek to cup his neck and held it there as he sighed. “I’m sorry. I just...I just really want to go home.”

 

“I know darling.” Eddie cooed, reaching down to cup Waylon’s chin and raised it so their eyes met. That deep blue gaze capturing Waylon in it’s vivid swirls like ocean waves lapping at rocky coastlines. “Don’t worry. We will.” Eddie’s smile was somewhat reassuring with it's presence. He hooked his fingers under Waylon’s chin and lifted the blonde’s gaze, tilting it a little to inspect the bandage once more and the steadily healing injury. He hummed in approval and covered the wound back up. Leaning down to place a kiss on the blonde’s forehead, taking Waylon off guard. “You'll be better in no time at this rate darling.” Eddie purred, drawing the long locks away from Waylon’s face and tucking it behind his ears, thumb gingerly caressing the yellowing bruises around the bandaged area. 

 

The familiarity with which Eddie touched him was both unnerving and somewhat welcome. Waylon had to admit, he missed other people and physical contact. Especially after the incident, he felt he needed a little more validation that he had survived. Physical touch was one of them. He felt the urge to pull away though, when the unnerved portion of him rose into the back of his mind but he replaced his unease with the reminder that Eddie has been out here much longer. Alone. He remembered just how desperate he was for companionship after his last mission, finally linking up with the other crew. He had never been so happy to see another human being before. He could only imagine that those same feelings must be going through Eddie’s head right now.  He felt he couldn't ignore that fact and decided to let him be friendly like this. It wasn't that bad. His masculinity aside, if a man the size of a bear can walk around calling others darling so easily and be this maternal, Waylon can allow himself to accept it without any stigmas attached. 

 

“Eddie?” Waylon spoke up after a stretch of quiet. The male’s fingers still brushing his hair out of the way, eyes inspecting the bruising along Waylon’s cheek and jaw. It was still much darker than the coloring on his scalp. Eddie hummed in acknowledgment, urging Waylon to continue. Waylon made certain to hold still for the other while he carried on with his inquiry. “Do you have a family back home?”

 

At the question, Eddie withdrew from his inspection and gave Waylon his space once again. His hands moving away to rest neatly folded in front of himself. He leaned back against the table once more. “I do in a sense, as far as blood is concerned. In the traditional romantic definition, I do not.” 

 

Waylon winced at how calculated the answer sounded. He felt bad about bringing it up. “I see.”

 

“Is there something on your mind Waylon?” Eddie in return. His eyes leveled on the other, making Waylon avert his gaze for fear of being swept up in them again. 

 

“Not at all. I was just curious.” He offered a smile of reassurance. Eddie raised a brow in suspicion but he let it be. Assuming if it was important, Waylon would tell him.

 

“Alright then. You should get some more rest.” The raven haired male urged, moving towards the mesh compartment once again. Waylon was already anticipating the blister pack capsule. His water bottle was retrieved as well, freshly filled from earlier. Waylon hadn't even noticed its absence until Eddie returned with it. His eyes going to the empty space on the shelf before accepting both the water and the pill. 

 

“Your shower system works, right?” Waylon asked as he downed both substances. Guzzling down the bottle of water before setting it aside on it's shelf. His eyes roaming over the always neat and clean cut appearance of his counterpart. 

 

“It does. Would you like to use it after your rest?” 

 

Waylon nodded. “Yes, please.” His words were a little bit desperate but Eddie didn't seemed bothered by it. Just smiling in confirmation. Waylon was obsessive about cleanliness on a good day back home. Out here when day and night are pointless, a shower was one of the few comforts he enjoyed when everything else was so foreign. He was already feeling uncomfortable in his own skin and knew he needed a new change of uniform. 

  
Waylon’s new found anticipation was corralled by Eddie who ushered him back into the cradle to rest. He let Waylon handle rather the other components were necessary or not, to which Waylon did zip up his sleeping bag but didn't bother with the mesh. Eddie toned down the lights as he bid the blonde a good rest once more. Repeating this routine like clockwork. Just like always, the darkness would consume him and drag him into empty dreams. 


	3. Wake Me When It's Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylon is too curious for his own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write and the high energy scenes just poured out with ease. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments below. This is my first sci-fi piece and I am super duper curious to see how well it's doing. Thank you and enjoy!

The sound of the water rushing through the nozzle head was the most beautiful sound Waylon’s heard in over a week. The warm water running down his back, gathering at the base to filter and recycle for later use. A circular shower stall went around his body to contain and cover sort of like the crawl through play tubes kids and dogs have. It was portable and easily stored away into a compartment. Along with the extendable shower head currently dousing his form. He used a special soap to help clean and moisturize his skin, keeping it from getting worn out or dried and it didn’t leave any sticky residue behind. The same was used to wash through his hair though the only scent that it came with reminded him of clinical disinfectant. It was very generic but he couldn't really complain when the end result left him feeling clean and refreshed.

 

He had a clean uniform all ready and waiting for him by time he got out, courtesy of Eddie. It was a bit big on him, requiring him to have to cinch the belt around his waist extra tight to keep the pants up on his hips and the shirt nearly swallowed him. He was sad to know his uniform was going to be incinerated since he really like that flight suit. He couldn’t keep it though with the blood staining the fabric. As was protocol, dirty laundry was usually compiled into a single ejectable pod capsule to be compressed and sent back to earth, burning up in earth’s atmosphere to be completely destroyed before it even reaches the ground. It was protocol for other waste materials as well since they couldn’t just throw them in a sink or trash can to be hauled off to a dump of any kind.

 

Waylon inspected the dark blue flight suit that was left for him and he was pleasantly surprised to see that Eddie had salvaged his patches from the other one. Removing his own patches to put Waylon’s name plate, country of origin and his program over the spaces. It too swallowed him up but he was alright with that, rolling up his sleeves to a working length and pinning them in place, he did the same with his pant legs and just endured the rest of the baggy clothing.

 

He was able to leave the room he had been housed in for the first time since his arrival. Taking the brief time alone to explore the ship. Eddie had directed him to return to his room to rest after his shower, saying he would bring his meal by later but there was only so much time he could spend lounging around in that cradle. In idle thought, his fingers trailed over the stitch up job Eddie had done for his injury. He was grateful that the larger male had used dissolving stitches so he wouldn’t have to endure their removal. It made him squeamish feeling them slide out of his skin like that, having experienced that once before. The bruising had gone down quite a bit and he was looking much more well rested then he had been before the incident. Something he could only credit Eddie for with his determined maternal nature to ensure Waylon was getting enough rest to recuperate properly.

 

He was prepared to help out now, brimming with energy and needing to expend it one way or another. The ship appear much larger than his own when he left the room. There was a circular hallway with slotted grates in the floor that led to what appeared to be Eddie’s primary work space. There was a table with all sorts of gadgets and trinkets laid about. Some Waylon recognized and others he didn’t. There was other foreign work pieces and familiar pieces comprising a majority of the ship. He left the room to the next doorway and found a larger room that looked like an open deck area one might find on a larger more spacious ship, the kind one sees in movies. It was a wide open circular room with a desk area and what appeared to be a kitchen of sorts. Given they were in space, it bothered Waylon to see that sort of set up. About as much as the lack of the absence of gravity in the ship. He didn’t know what was sustaining temporary gravity on the ship or how they managed to replicate the same levels of G-force that earth experiences but he had an uneasy feeling about the set up. Like he was back home and not in space.

 

On the far side of the room, there was a massive window he expected to find gazing out at earth or even the stars. Instead it was just darkness. A blank endless darkness. Waylon’s pale blue orbs widened in confusion at this. There should be an endless explosion of bright lights as far as the eye can see. Once away from the gases of the atmosphere and the light filtering down from the sun and moon, the stars were bright and vivid and mesmerizing. They were beautiful swirls of color on the horizon of earth. It was a sight no man could replicate. It was purely magical. But this, this was an endless void of darkness. What was more startling then that was the fact that Waylon had yet to find the cockpit or even run into Eddie. There was another smaller side room but it would be impractical to place a cockpit there. With the shape of the room and the windows, he would assume this would have been the focal point. Instead it was a residential unit.

 

He gazed around the room, searching for another doorway or entry point but there wasn't any. The one he did spot which was parallel to the threshold he had just left, was locked tight. He back tracked down the way he came, hoping he may have just missed something. A side port or hallway tucked behind a hatch, something but that was it. The only other way out of the large circular room was locked and he couldn’t even make sense of what he was seeing outside the window.

 

He didn’t have to wait long as the door that was previously shut clicked with the sound of the heavy bolts in the locking mechanism dislodged and it opened with a hiss. The large male entered, seemingly unaware of Waylon standing near the window, his fingers brushing through his hair with an exasperated sigh, carrying three large crates in his arms and towards the kitchen area. Setting them down on the smooth metallic table. Waylon shifted in place, watching quietly as Eddie sorted through the crates. They didn’t look like anything that would be in a supply pod. They were massive and a strange metal that resembled mercury in color and visual softness. Possibly incredibly heavy as well but Eddie moved them like they were nothing.

 

The blonde glanced between Eddie and the door, noticing the mechanism didn’t lock behind him. He appeared as if he was preparing to make another trip out causing Waylon to take his chances while he could. With a deep breath, he bolted towards the door, causing Eddie to perk up, his deep blue eyes widening as they fixed on the blonde darting past him. “Waylon? No!” He blurted, lunging towards the techie to stop him. Waylon ducked, causing Eddie to hit the wall instead, his arm connecting with the metal plating hard enough to make it dent as Waylon slipped under his forearm and ducked through the ajar doorway. There was a secondary door on the other side but where the first had been massive and replicated an air lock, the second door was solid glass and slid open upon sensing the approaching presence.

 

It opened up to an area that appeared to be an expanse of farmland and crops but nothing like what Waylon has seen before. At the sound of Eddie’s voice coming from behind him, he continued moving, choosing not to stop and linger with the male closing in. His bare feet pressing into a smooth gravel path that cut through the crops and gardens that stretched out seemingly endless. Sprinting past the rows of lush greenery and bright yellows and deep reds. The scent of flowers filling the air in certain areas. As he ran, he found the path reached an intersection. A quick glance around, he spotted large dome shaped buildings rising up all around from the fringes of the landscape. He turned quickly, choosing a random direction to go when the sound of footsteps presented itself. Taking a left towards one dome that had special blue rings around it. He burst through the threshold of greenery to skid to a halt, nearly falling over when a series of white cables appeared. On the other side of the cables was a creature that looked like the cross between a camel and a zebra. The large distorted humped shape of the body was marked all over with stripes in black and white but an iridescent blue glowed on the boundaries between the two neutral tones. The eyes were an eerie golden color that stared him down. Half a dozen or so were present and made loud groaning noises. Deep and guttural like a large bull when it moos.

 

The strange creatures seemed to be riled up with his presence, causing him to back away. The longer he lingered the more agitated they seemed to get. Turning around, he was about to backtrack when something black darted in the corner of his vision. Two large forms bumped right into him, massive like Eddie but nowhere near human. They stood on two legs and held a sapient form but their bodies were solid black with a series of scales that fluctuated between shades of coloring. Deep purples and dark blues flashing as a low rattling or vibrating sound came from their chests. It reminded Waylon of cicadas in the summertime back home. Whereas that was a relaxing sound at the end of a long hot day, coming from these creature’s it was terrifying. One had a deep violet set of eyes and the bigger was more of a blood red coloring. Both deeply off putting against the pitch black backdrop of their bodies. One of them reached out to grab him, their hands were normal like a human’s in structure only far bigger and appeared to have retractable claws at the ends. Their feet resembled the same as humans only with the same long black claws digging into the earth.

 

Waylon paled at the sight and screamed, drawing back away and bumping his back against the cables. The creatures on the other side of the cable fence had scattered at the cicada noise. He dropped down to his knees and rolled underneath it to put space between them. The humanoid creatures chittered back and forth with a sharp clicking language that made his ears ring, passing orders back and forth between them as they split up to give chase. The blonde rushed towards the other end of the pasture, sliding underneath the cable and turning towards the massive dome building and what appeared to be an endless expanse of giant thick forests. The trees were of jurassic proportions. He didn’t spend long admiring the scenery, working on catching his breath as he walked around the dome exterior. Hoping to have put some distance between him and the creatures.

 

The flurry of activity after spending so much time sleeping had him gasping for breath and lacking in energy. His head throbbed from the point of injury and dizziness was swirling around within. He placed a hand over his wound as he rounded the section of the building, giving it a quick look around to ensure he was in the clear. He couldn’t find either of the beings that were after him. They weren’t exactly hard to miss with their massive bodies and pure black coloring against the stark contrast of greenery. His back pressed against the white plate work that made up the domes. It was surprisingly cool against his back as he took a few deep breaths to calm himself and think straight.

 

A shiver ran down his spine as if he were being watched. His gaze perked up, alert and cautious as he looked around but found nothing. His gaze turned towards the pasture and found one of the strange camel/zebra looking beasts staring at him with it’s unnerving golden eyes. He swallowed thickly and shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself in comfort. The hair on the back of his neck rose on end, the feeling of being watched was even worse, causing him to step away from the dome, prepared to run as he gave another more complete look of his surroundings. Deciding it was better to keep moving when the black shapes caught the corners of his vision. He looked up at the dome in time to see both creatures flanking the sides of the dome, crawling across the surface like insects. The loud hissing sounded as they leap from the panels, claws extended lunging for the blonde. Waylon screamed and scrambled back, missing the attack of the purple eyed creature but was clipped by the red eyed one. Both of them sprawled out across the grass. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees to crawl away as a heavy foot dropped down onto his back and pinned him against the ground. He groaned in pain, feeling like he was being crushed beneath the weight.

 

The cold clicking sounds drifted between the creatures as Waylon grasped at the ground, clawing to get leverage and fighting for air. His struggles were ignored by the dark figures, the foot shifting from the center point of his back to between his shoulder blades. Pinning his face and shoulders firmly against the ground. His head tipped to the side as he watched the creatures part their inky black lips, baring a set of sharp teeth at him. Their mouths splitting with inhuman form as if they were preparing to devour him right there, the long sharp teeth resembled a canine’s, meant for ripping and tearing into flesh. Waylon tried to defend himself when the creatures knelt down over him. The weight of a second body resting on his lower back as claws dug into the fabric of his borrowed flight suit. He felt the pinpricks into his back from the nails, wet trails of blood dribbled down along his flesh, staining the dark blue fabric.

 

Waylon held as still as he possibly could, trying to pull away from the claws when he felt them dig into his skin. A scream escaped him once more as they raked across his back. Fabric ripping as another sound filled the space. A surprised screech sliced through the air. The blonde’s hands moved to cover his ears, missing the heavy thunk of bodies hitting the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut and curled up on the grass. It took him a minute to realize the weight that had been pinning him down was now absent. Daring to look, he recognized a familiar blue uniform draped over the massive shoulders of the raven haired male. His hands curled into fists as he crouched between Waylon and the other two creatures but something was off. The shrill cicada sounds filled the air at different frequencies and volumes. Each had its own tone and Waylon was able to pick out one, two...three? There was in fact three different tones. The two creature’s chests puffed out in a threatening manor but Eddie’s was inflated most and he wasn’t even straining. Waylon had been wrong about the creature’s sizes, finding Eddie was bigger than both of them. Not by much but it mattered enough to the other two.

 

The creatures released a series of clicking sounds, making Waylon wince, shifting to protect his ears from the jarring noises. His back was hot and damp, the scent of copper on the air, reaching his nostrils. He felt dizzy as if the world was spinning around him. He tried to focus on breathing the best he could. His gaze jumping from the grass before him up towards Eddie. Seeing something moving beneath the dark blue uniform. Six tears formed along the spinal portion of the jump suit. Three on each side as long inky black tendrils extended from Eddie’s back. His body was tense and on edge, prepared to fight. The cicada sounds filled the air before both creatures appeared to back down. Looking between each other then at Waylon. The clicking resonated around him before both figures disappeared, making their way around the rounded sides of the dome.

 

The dark tendrils slipped back into the holes of the uniform and vanished from sight. Eddie straightened up and turned back towards Waylon, finding the male’s back had large claw marks across it. Blood soaked the entire lower back of his uniform and around his hips. Coloring the green blades of grass a dark crimson. “Waylon!” He blurted, kneeling down quickly to gather the male up into his arms. The blonde was barely conscious and sickly pale. “It’s alright darling. Just breathe.” He scooped Waylon up with ease, carrying the human back towards his residence. Following the same gravel path Waylon had ran along until they were safely behind the heavy duty doors of his home.

 

He took Waylon to the room he had been sleeping in this whole time, using the work table to address the blonde’s injuries. He found a waste bin in time for Waylon to retch up whatever fluid was left inside his stomach. He helped the small male sit up and stay upright long enough for his stomach to settle. A sickly groan coming from the astronaut’s lips. Eddie knew the reason for the bout of illness. The language the creature’s spoke tended to hit a frequency that humans were sensitive to. It conflicted with the signals in the brain, replicating a state akin to the feeling of motion sickness or what happens when one spins around really fast. It will take some time for Waylon to get used to the exposure to that frequency before he can go about hearing it without feeling ill.

 

While the blonde was settled, Eddie addressed the scratches on the male’s back. Luckily enough they weren’t too deep. The amount of blood only looked serious due to the fact it was absorbed so easily by the fabric. His luck was further increased by the fact the pair Waylon had been discovered by have a bad habit of playing with their food. They would have tormented the human for a while longer before consuming him completely. It would have been a very slow and painful death but it gave Eddie enough time to catch up and find them. The pair were also a rebellious bunch that doesn’t follow their kind’s rules like they should. What those on earth call troublemakers. Sadly enough, Eddie feared what may have become of Waylon should he have been found by any of the others.

 

He stripped the blue uniform off of the male, taking the shredded white t-shirt as well and cleaned the wounds. They didn’t require any kind of stitches but Eddie did wrap Waylon’s back and abdomen all the way around with bandages. He cleaned the blood off of the smaller male, realizing he was being far too quiet and still compared to his usual. He sighed, running his fingers through Waylon’s hair and checking his older injuries for any fresh wounds or damage. Relieved that he was mostly okay, he retrieved the medicine from the first aid kit and urged the blonde to take it. Waylon’s eyes were distant, his actions were delayed and slow but he obliged. Taking whatever Eddie would give him. A bit of water to help swallow it down and he carried the blonde over to the cradle. Eddie didn’t have to worry about pain being inflicted to Waylon’s back when lying him down. The medicine he consumed has a fast acting numbing agent that would halt the signals of pain from the nerves to the brain.

 

He situated the sleeping bag, zipping it shut and placed the mesh over top. Creating a secure feeling around the user’s body. There was a reason it was called a cradle and it was due to the comforting feeling it provides resembling that of a mother’s arms around their child. It’s to reduce stress levels and affects the subconscious portions of the brain that remember early life. It has proven highly effective on humans. With the dimming of the lights, Eddie’s deep blue orbs glowed in the darkness, watching as the blonde’s eyes closed and succumb to the medicine’s and the cradle’s affects, drifting off to a soothing sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a bit of explanation. I'm basing the alien species off of a couple different insects where the one with the loudest hiss or rattle, usually wins the verbal argument. It makes the other lesser species back off. It's a warning like the growl before the bite. 
> 
> The frequency thing I got off of the fact some sound frequencies can affect the human body in major ways more then just making our ears bleed. It can disorient and throw off how the brain and the body functions by affecting the fluid and chemicals that pass through those areas to make them work. 
> 
> ALSO: If you haven't noticed already, all the titles for each chapter are either song titles or lines of lyrics from music I listen to while writing. 
> 
> Ch.1- Can Anybody Hear Me? is a line of lyric from the song Astronauts by Simple Plan  
> Ch.2- Dear Fellow Traveler is a song by Sea Wolf  
> Ch.3- Wake Me When It's Over is a song by Aviators
> 
> They're really good songs. I highly recommend them. They're part of my writing playlist that I use to set the mood when writing all of my fanfiction for the Outlast series. 
> 
> (P.S. Don't forget to comment below on what you think or if you have music recommendations for me to listen to. That works too. I'm always looking for good music to check out. Thank you!)


	4. The Sound of Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie must face the consequences of his actions.

Since his return to the room, Waylon had become more closed off from Eddie. He didn't engage in conversation anymore and was often very skittish and jumpy as if he expected the raven haired male to suddenly turn on him and attack. He was hesitant towards any physical contact, leaving Eddie to only interact when changing his bandages. His appetite had fled him as well. He didn't touch any of the meals the larger male brought to him and spent most of his time sleeping in the cradle. He would accept the medicine from the male if only to stop the pain in his back and to be left alone in the darkness of the room.  Part of Waylon wished to fall asleep and never wake back up.

 

This behavior went on for three days before Eddie was forced to intervene. It came when the blonde awoke from his cradled sleep dry heaving into the waste bin. He stretched out across the floor on his stomach, sweat soaked and shivering. His wounds bleeding through his shirt and even staining the inside of the cradle. Eddie had heard the racket from down the hall where he had been working at the little repair room fixing ship parts and making upgrades to older pieces. Rushing into the dark, he turned up the lights to find the blonde in the pitiful state. He was far too pale to be healthy and there was only so much he could do with what he had.

 

He carefully scooped Waylon up into his arms, wrapping a blanket around the shivering male from the mesh compartments nearby and carrying him out of his housing unit. Waylon placed his hands against Eddie’s chest trying to push the large man away but his grasp was weak. His pale blue hues were clouded and out of focus. A rough sound caught in his throat as he coughed, another shiver racing through his body making him press closer to the larger being for the immense warmth radiating from his body. He tilted his head up to stare up at the sky only to find a massive see through dome encircling them. His head turned and spied that it went on seemingly forever, He was incapable of seeing the other side of it but it made the other white domes look like dog houses in comparison. Instead of the white exterior, it was clear and see through, allowing him to see the kaleidoscope of stars that he should have been able to see from the window at Eddie’s home. Peering back at the housing unit over the male’s broad shoulders, Waylon realized there were no window slots on the building. In fact, the other blue dome he had been racing around lacked window slots as well. Waylon could only assume it was night time given the bright light of day was gone, the stars were easily in view and the stone walkways Waylon had run through before glowed like moonlight. Giving enough natural looking light to see everything around them but not enough to interfere with the view above.

 

His eyes cast back up at the sky, gazing past the always clean cut and neat appearance of the darker haired being. There wasn’t a single hair out of line and not a single mark of age or time on him. The white light from the rocks cast odd shadows against his features, nestling into the dips and curves of his facial structure and making those deep blue eyes more prominent. Always such a mesmerizing experience to gaze into. “Hold on a little longer Waylon. I’m going to get you some help.” Eddie murmured, catching the smaller human’s gaze on him. He nearly stumbled over his own two feet, quickening his pace to get to the largest of the white domes. Had Waylon continued going straight down the path, he would have come to a dome with red rings around it. A large glass door parted upon sensing their presence much like the one on the exterior entryway of Eddie’s housing unit. Inside were people, very large people who looked human like Eddie. Their eyes were all bright vibrant colors like the rest. But none of them could compare to the shade of blue in Eddie’s.

 

A tall more slender male with long silver haired tied back, resembling a hippie in Waylon’s opinion. His wire rimmed glasses rested on a beaky nose, lips pulled back in a grimace when he noticed the distressed features of his counterpart and the small human in his arms. Showing signs of obvious deterioration. Eddie shifted the blanket around Waylon’s head to try and cover his ears the best he could as the pair began speaking in the series of clicks and chirps. Waylon shuddered at the inhuman sounds, reminded of the two distorted creatures that attacked him earlier. His fingers curled into Eddie’s uniform, grasping at the material as the far too familiar dizziness set in. His head rested against Eddie’s shoulder, lolling to the side with a groan.

 

The sounds stopped as Eddie rested his hand over the back of Waylon’s head, petting it to soothe his upset. His voice shifted towards the very precise human tone. His words like honey, dripping off of his tongue. “Please, help him.” His tone was desperate.

 

The silver haired man contemplated this bit of information. His eyes flickering from the frail human life form back towards his counterpart and sighed. “Ya know the other’s aren’t goin ta be happy about this.” The man’s voice was a nasally sound that dragged on words. It was strange and held an odd drawl to it. There was a deep sigh then he felt a new set of hands pulling the blanket away from his body. “I’ll help save yer life if ya do something for us in return.” The male spoke. The words causing Eddie to tense up. Fingers hooked under Waylon’s chin, lifting his head so they met the pair of liquid silver eyes. “If I save you, ya gotta help us with our studies on yer kind.” He explained simply. “That includes the use of yer body. This is yer choice. Live and help us or you can die like this.”

 

“That’s not fair.” Eddie growled, taking a step back to pull Waylon away from the silver haired man’s touch. His arms moving protectively around his human. His eyes narrowed dangerously on the other.

 

The silver haired male tsked his counterpart. Giving a shake of the head as he spoke coldly. “Unfair? Like bringin a human back ta the colony against his will? Keepin him hidden from the rest of us.”

 

“I had no choice. He was going to die out there-”

 

“Is that any different from him dyin in here? Look at him.” The lithe male demanded. _“Take a good long look._ ” He stepped closer to the male, squaring up with ease. “This decision is not yers to make any more.”

 

Eddie bit his lip, holding onto Waylon a little tighter. The blonde gave another weak groan as he was jostled around. The raven haired male shifted Waylon so he could see his face. “Do you understand what is being asked of you Waylon?” He spoke softly, drawing the damp sweat soaked locks out of the male’s face, meeting his gaze. The blonde nodded slowly in understanding.

 

“Would you like him to save your life, knowing what the exchange is? You will lose your right to your body for the study of our people.” Eddie explained. He chewed on his lip nervously as Waylon nodded again.

 

“I suggest ya say it aloud for the boy.” The silver haired male spoke, addressing Waylon with his command.

 

“I… I’ll do it.” He murmured after an extended pause. His eyes turned towards the silver haired man. The man nodded his understanding and took Waylon from Eddie’s arms. Eddie was hesitant to release the human, causing the slender being to physically pry the raven haired male’s hands away. Eddie stepped forward towards Waylon when another pair of beings like them stepped in between and cut him off. He gritted his teeth watching as Waylon was carried through a pair of sliding doors towards a medical facility.

 

The clothing on his body was cut away, peeling the blood soaked clothing and bandages away from his skin. His injuries were ripped open, festering. He was suffering from the early stages of blood poisoning. The silver haired male, a doctor amidst their kind, was quick to begin tending to the human. He used special bandages that dissolve and seal over open wounds, creating a regeneration of artificial cells until the body can replace them with the real ones necessary. He was connected to an oxygen supply, a mask slipping over his face to help saturate his body with what he was lacking in circulation. An i.v was set up, pushing fluids and nutrients into him. A cocktail of necessary vitamins and immune boosters. The doctor performed x-rays on Waylon’s body to ensure he had no major injuries and rediscovered the concussion that had been present from the incident. His frustration towards Eddie at keeping the human a secret rose only a fraction before he quelled it to return to his task at hand. His motivation rekindled with the promise of a healthy and complete living subject for their future tests.

 

It wasn’t very long after bringing Waylon into the medical room that the male lost consciousness, allowing the doctor to do his work unhindered. He gave him an additional sedative to keep him under and placed him very carefully into a pressurized capsule. It contained technology that would accelerate the body’s production of white blood cells and cut recovery time for humans in half. For their own kind, it would only take a full day before recovering completely from the same state. He gave Waylon three days inside the chamber.

 

In the meantime, he had to handle the problems with insubordination. Not only with Eddie but the twins beings that had attacked Waylon. He already knew that there was a human in the colony. The moment Waylon ran away from Eddie, others of their kind had seen and reported the incident to him. He also knew that the pair of rebellious beings, nicknamed the twins, were a pair of younglings who were a recent addition to the colony. They had yet to learn the ways of the colony and sought to continue their primitive lifestyles. Even for their own kind, running around in the buff and attacking other lifeforms so outwardly was considered barbaric behavior back home. It was uncivilized and frowned upon. As was trying to eat them on sight. The pair were well known to be what humans refer to as orphans. They had no host family and were on their own since they were just pups. There was hope that bringing them to the colony would help submerge them into a social and civil caste and that they would hopefully learn from it and change their ways. It only seemed to have adverse affects, making them more skittish and wild.

 

The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He needed to present the consequences to all three for their actions.

  
  


A meeting was called out, drawing a gathering of their species into the largest of the domes. It was further away from the expanse of greenery and forest. The dome, instead of being marked by colored rings like the rest, it was a beacon of solid white. Inside was built like an auditorium with rows of seats surrounding a center point. A court stand rose up on a podium at one end and a large set of metal double doors were the only entry point. Eddie entered in his dark blue uniform, his appearance the same clean cut and put together look as before but his eyes were troubled. The meeting was sudden and the room was an echo of clicks. A buzz of inhuman chattering quickly silenced when the silver haired doctor stepped up before them. A loud hiss vibrating out of his chest, settling the rest of their people down. The twins were brought in behind him, their wrists bound together with special alloy shackles, rising up to a collar like device connecting them. One of the twins growled at the doctor, the action drawing an acute shock of electricity to race through his body from the point of the shackles. He hissed and stumbled back before silence resumed.

 

“You’ll get yer punishment soon enough.” The nasally voice cracked through the air like a whip. Eddie was urged to step towards the podium, his head hung in submission. His wrists were bound by simpler means, just basic shackles as part of their protocol since these proceedings can become upsetting. “Eddie Gluskin, look at me.” The voice was sharp and demanding. Drawing those conflicting pools up towards the silver haired doctor. His more human drawl faded as he urged more control over his speech towards a more proper pronunciation of words.

 

“For the unwarranted abduction of a human, possession of said human and unjust imprisonment of them, you are to be punished for your actions.” The doctor’s words sent the rush of clicks around the room, murmurs among their people, once more silenced by a hiss. “Your evidence that said human known as Waylon Park, was in danger of loss of life in the voids of space has proven to be earnest. That still holds no excuse for your actions in hiding the subject. Your negligence to report the incident to your superiors has led to the consequences of bodily harm inflicted upon the human. What do you have to say for yourself?”

 

Eddie’s gaze dropped down into a submissive posture once more. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for his actions but he did not regret saving Waylon when he found him drifting in the void. “I accept the consequences of my actions and any punishment you deem fit.”

 

“I believe three days in the sound chamber will be satisfactory.” Those liquid silver eyes drifted from Eddie towards the shackled pair behind him. “All three of you will spend time in the sound chamber.” A rush of clicks and chattering started up before the doctor silenced them all with another hiss from his chest. “Take them away.”

 

Several guards in black uniforms appeared. Each of them was in their natural form. Large black scaly bodies and vibrant eyes of deep reds, oranges and golds. There were two per prisoner as they each were escorted out of the building towards a line of black tubular buildings rising up out of the ground. They were the equivalent of a human jail cell but matching the size of their species. Inside there was no furniture or fixtures of any kind. No light source and only one door. Each prisoner was placed inside their own, separate from the others. The twins were split up and put in each first, the guards being forced to wrestle them inside and locking the hatches. Leaving the restraints on them.

 

Eddie was the last to be placed inside his. They removed his shackles due to his cooperation and along with it, the circular collar like device that rested around his neck. With the touch of a button, the device fell free and his human appearance vanished like a hologram burning out. His skin was the same black scaly texture, soft and silky to the touch. He was urged to remove the uniform, leaving him in dark trousers and a white t-shirt as part of his attire. His shoes were taken as well, the claws of his feet digging into the soil. Pink spots flickered on his body, the black spots turning color to express the fear worming into his chest. His body exposing the truth of his emotions like many others of his kind.

 

Entering the chamber was not something he was eager to do. His steps were hesitant but the guards showed patience with him. Once inside, they closed the door behind him, sealing him in darkness. The foreboding click of the locking mechanism lost to him as an endless silence consumed him. The room was meant to punish those who act out. No matter how hard he beat on the walls or even screamed, not a single noise will ever be produced. It was a maddening mixture of silence and darkness. Most punishments are only an hour stay, at the max a whole day. His actions were deserving of three whole days. He displayed no hatred for this outcome. Knowing well what was in store for him should he be discovered.


	5. I'll Be Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie spends his punishment in the sound chamber while Waylon recovers from his injuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song for this title is I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young. I've been listening to his music a lot for this piece so far and I'm loving it and it works so well with this story and the feeling in my perspective.

The hiss of the capsule releasing pressure sounded in the otherwise quiet facility. A ghostly fog rolled out of the machine as the rounded glass doors opened, exposing the sleeping form of the blonde human. His eyes still closed, chest rising and falling in slow breathes drawn from the oxygen mask. The silver haired doctor approached, his hands resting on the subject’s shoulders to give a little shake, testing to see if he would wake at the movement. His skin color was back to a normal healthy shade. His features were relaxed and well rested. The dark bags of stress that had shown before entry were now gone as well. Three days in the capsule had done wonders for the smaller male. His blonde hair had grown considerably as well, adding two human weeks worth of time to it’s length with the accelerated cell growth. He was drawn out carefully, picked up with eased and transported to an examination table, lying down on his stomach. The injuries to his back were just pale scars against the slightly tinted hue of tan skin still grasping the glow of the earth’s sun.

 

A female of their kind had entered, with long brunette hair tied back into a neat and well kept bun. Her eyes were a bright violet color like amethysts. She wore a white uniform that was traditional for medical staff amidst their species. It was a short sleeved tunic with a tie around sash at the waist and long white trousers. It was reminiscent of a human kimono but made of liquid resistant fibers that were easily washed off or wiped away. Normally it would have long sleeves but many of the staff at the colony found they enjoyed the short sleeve styling of human garments and it’s freedom of movement. Back home, they were more inclined to cover every inch of flesh deemed unnecessarily exposed. This wasn’t just a sense of prudence and discomfort at any signs of nudity but to keep their color display organs from showing. Many of the staff were good at maintaining neutral tones, keeping their color organs a deep dark green of contentment that nearly matched their black scale tones or disassociate with their emotional levels to maintain a stoic facade that kept their color organs black in appearance.

 

To expose their bodies so openly to those around them was the same as what humans call ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve.’ This being quite literally having their emotions on their bare skin. The organs were bioluminescent and reacted easily to changes in chemical levels in the body, hiding right beneath small circular patches of scales that were tell points. These areas spotted the underneath of their arms, in their palms, the inside wrists and elbow where the arteries on a human body would be. The pectorals and abdomen, the bottoms of their feet and six going up along their spines, placed on the ridge of bone going up starting at the base of the spine and stopping between their shoulder blades. There was a cluster underneath their jaws, once again, where human arteries are. And another spot behind the base of each ear, the tips a little sharper and more pointed than a human’s.

 

As the nurse tended to Waylon, she removed all of his clothing, or well, Eddie’s clothing from his body. Using a damp cloth, she scrubbed his skin, removing a residue that resembled a second layer of skin, peeling off the way a snake might shed. It was due to the accumulation of dead or old cells his body produced that reach the end of their usefulness. They were unable to fall off the way cells normally would throughout human routine, brushing against material or simply by motion. They needed to be scrubbed clean off of his body. He remained asleep throughout this portion of care, the air mask remaining on his face until the end. They removed it once he was clean and the nurse switched from the wash rag to trimming away the excess of hair down to a more manageable condition and shaved the scruff that had accumulated on his facial features. Waylon was unable to grow a full on beard, just small stubble was the extent of his abilities. It looked crude and unkempt and so they rid him of it.

 

He was dressed back in plain clothing more befitting of his size. A white t-shirt, boxers and white trousers. The silver haired male placed a bracelet like device around his wrist, it was small like a silver bangle but was used to track and identify Waylon. It also proved that he was a welcome member of the colony and was under the silver haired doctor’s protection. Nobody was to harm him or do anything to the human without the doctor’s expressed permission. He was now a specimen to be studied and protected. With the identifier on, he was transported to a separate room with a bed and toiletries. A surveillance unit was set to keep an eye on him until he woke up.

 

On the other side of the colony, it had reached the end of Eddie’s punishment time. The guards were sent to retrieve him first, finding the male lying on the floor of the room. A light was flashed over him, his body a dark hump against the ground, motionless and limp. Being inside the room still, they couldn’t tell if he was cognizant of their presence and wouldn’t be able to until they pulled him out. Gathering him up into their arms, they half dragged his form out into the artificial sunshine. The lights coming from sun panels that reproduce the same rays that come from the massive fiery star. It transitioned day to night and back, supplying their colony with functioning heated rays to keep their plants alive and animals alive inside the dome. Eddie’s eyes were covered with a blindfold to prevent any accidental damage from occurring from the change between prolonged darkness and exposure to bright light.

 

He was taken to a carriage like transport hooked up to two of the camel/zebra like creatures. They snorted in their reins as the pair of guards climbed inside with their cargo. Closing a door behind them. Like the domes, the carriage like transport was white with special black markings and writing in the same foreign runes showing it belonged to the guards as a quick mode of transport. Only the officials and guards used transports like these. The rest rode the temperamental beasts that pulled them to get from point A to point B in the colony. Others chose to walk since there was rarely any feeling of urgency in colony life.

 

It didn’t take too long for them to arrive at the large red striped dome and unload their cargo, carrying the limp and blindfolded male inside to be checked out by the doctor. The silver haired man had just finished getting his human specimen settled in an observation room and was preparing the second room for Eddie. After the extended stay in the sound chamber, he needed a decompression period to adjust and regain his wits about him. The chamber had a way of altering the way the mind functions after an extended period. When he was brought in, he was placed in the observation room, laid down in the bed and left alone with the blindfold taken away. The doctor watched through a surveillance monitor as the two subject rested in the rooms. Waylon still asleep in the bed. Eddie appeared to be ‘awake’, meaning his eyes were open but he was staring at a fixed point on the ceiling.

 

He showed no signs of moving for nearly an hour. By the hour’s end, Waylon had started to wake up and was sitting up in the bed, warranting the doctor to check on his subject. Leaving a nurse to watch the monitors in the meantime.

 

_The dark was a foreboding sense of silence. He reached out, moving his hand in front of his face, hoping to see it through the thick shroud that encompassed the interior of the room. His bright blue orbs failing to perceive even this darkness. With no source of light to reflect, he was as good as blind. Of course, that’s what they wanted. He knelt down to the floor, feeling his way around until he found a wall. His bare feet scratching at the floor. He could feel it but the sound failed to register in his ears. His hearts were beating loudly, rushing in his head. His thoughts joining in on the thrum. Far too loud in his ears. Laughter that didn’t exist, a voice from the shadows. The feeling of something nearby him but as he reached out he failed to touch it. Crawling around in the dark, he searched. For a heat source that didn’t exist, a body he had hoped to come across. He felt a touch as his back, he whirled around and opened his mouth to speak, nothing came. He took a deep breath and tried again. No sound. Fingers trailing across his back, he whipped around and charged at the source, running right into the wall. His fist hit the hard flat surface but didn’t even leave a dent. Still no sound, only the sharp protests of pain inside his hand._

 

_He curled up as time stretched on. Minutes felt like months and hours like years. He could no longer tell if his eyes were open or not. There were eyes watching him in the darkness. The feeling of tendrils slinking across his body. Pressing closer but when he grasped at them there was nothing there. This repeated endlessly. The phantom interactions. The whispers in his ears. The touch of fingers in his hair or across his back. It was maddening._

 

Eddie’s hands moved to cover his ears as those whispers returned, murmuring into them. Far too loud. Everything was too loud. The beat of his hearts in his chest. The rush of air filling his lungs. The clicking of his own voice was far too much. He moved, the rustling of fabric against the bed set him off. He leap to his feet, his display organs flaring a bright neon pink. His feet stumbled across the floor. The smooth scales against the colder surface was startling. He growled, rushing towards the bed and grabbing a hold of it. Prying it up out of the floors from where it was welded. His pink hues of fear fluctuating towards the blood red of anger and back. The spots a mismatch of color all over his body as he slammed the metal frame into the ground and then back up into the wall. Letting it lean against the smooth surface. The sound of metal ringing in his ears made him cry out. Retreating towards the furthest corner from everything and crouching down. His back towards the door as he tucked his large form up against the points where the walls met. Hands covering his ears like a frightened child as he closed his eyes, trying to block out the sounds. To find peace. The colored spots on his body shifting between pinks and reds and oranges and yellows. All were danger signs. He was unstable and unpredictable.

  


The doctor was immediately notified of the disturbance and told the rest of the staff to remain calm and avoid the room. As long as Eddie remained in his little corner and wasn’t trying to break down the door, they were fine. He continued towards the room holding Waylon. They were at opposite ends of the corridor, keeping a safe distances away from each other and so Waylon wouldn’t be able to hear the disturbance coming from Eddie’s room. The blonde was waiting for the doctor when he came in. He looked a little disoriented, rubbing his eyes with the balls of his palms. When they met the liquid silver gaze of the doctor, they held a form of recognition in them. The blonde was reminded of what had happened as memories started to return. It was expected for him to be a little out of sorts with the recovery he has gone through. The doctor kept an eye out for any signs of psychological issues that may have formed from the ordeal. “How are ya feelin today Waylon?” The doctor presented himself with a kind smile, upholding his bedside manners as a medical professional.

 

Despite the cultural differences, humans and their species had a lot in common as far as the medical practice goes. They perform with the interest of their patients in mind. Their _Do No Harm_ mantras hold some differences, as he was not only a doctor but also a source of stability and justice in their colony. Punishment didn’t always line up with his pacifist practices but he needed to do what was best for the colony in the long run. He was also a scientist above all else and his mission was straightforward. To fail would have immense consequences for many, not just himself.

 

Waylon offered a weak smile to the doctor, finding he was feeling a lot better. He had took the brief time between his waking up and when the doctor entered, doing a mental checklist of his body. Finding even the injuries to his head were gone. No more bruising. Just the small white line of scarring from the stitch up job Eddie had done for him. “I feel great. Actually, the best I’ve felt in a long time.” He said with ease, feeling no hesitance in that statement. He relaxed as the doctor moved to stand beside the bed. He swung his legs over the edge so he was sitting more comfortably, giving them a brief stretch as he gazed up at the male. “Thank you for saving me. I guess I now owe both of you my life.” He spoke in a way that was noticeably carefree. Something that the doctor wasn’t used to hearing from others. His kind were not brash, often times more clinical in their expressions and behavior. They didn’t speak unless they had meaning to their words. A reason. Something he noticed humans have a lack of.

 

Not saying that human expressions aren’t important but the human language and interactions are often largely exaggerated. They over express feelings or emotions. Both in physical interactions as well as verbal. They were very open and didn’t feel the urge to hide their expressive traits the way his kind did. The human species was very open, like a book which made them even more fascinating as well as complicated. Their over abundance of expression was often times confusing.

 

“That isn’t necessary. I only did what was agreed upon. I stopped yer premature expiration and you ‘n turn have promised to play an integral part ‘n our studies of yer species.” The doctor spoke frankly. The clinical explanation made Waylon a little uncomfortable as he was reminded of his promise. He knew what he had agreed to. He didn’t forget that but it didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous about what that promise would entail. Obviously it wouldn’t end in his death since he was an important part to their needs.

 

“If I may, can I speak with Eddie? I wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier.” His pale blue orbs were soft and sincere, his tone sharing the same expressive tone.

 

The doctor studied this sudden weakened display at the thought of his counterpart. He shook his head as he spoke. “I’m sorry but that cannot happen. He is currently indisposed for the time bein. It would be unwise ta approach him ‘n his current condition.”

 

“O-oh.” Waylon fell silent after that. Simply accepting this fact, expecting Eddie to be upset with him for the turn of events. He wondered if the male felt betrayed for his actions.

 

In his silence, the doctor took the initiative to further explain the situation to the blonde. “Well then, we better get started on yer end of the deal.” He stated curtly.


	6. Don't You Dare Forget The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylon learns more about his purpose in the colony and Eddie faces recovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featured song in the title is Don't You Dare Forget The Sun by Get Scared
> 
> Thank you all so much for the great feedback so far. I look forward to writing even more and have a lot planned for this story in the future. Please keep leaving feedback on what you think about the story. I love it so far hearing all of your thoughts, ideas and theories. ^.^

“Well then, we better get started on yer end of the deal.” Those words drew Waylon’s attention back up to the doctor, tensing at the fact he was going to be thrust into this so suddenly. There was no going back though. He made a promise and he intended to keep it. His gaze turning to meet those liquid metallic pools. The doctor’s lips curved into a satisfied smirk. “Follow me. I’ll explain in the lab.”

 

Waylon nodded and pushed up from his place in the bed, a little unsteady at first, the doctor waited in the doorway until his specimen was following right behind him. He turned down the hall, going the opposite direction of Eddie’s room towards a set of double doors that led to the main facility where Waylon had been kept in the capsule. The room was very clean and organized with a lot of futuristic looking technology everywhere. Much like the capsules, there was also a few pieces of technology that resembled some of the things they had back on earth as far as medical purposes go. He could guess on others but it would be fifty fifty on rather he’d be correct.

 

“Yer purpose from here on out is to help us with our studies on yer kind. That bein said, we’ll have many questions about how yer species lives day to day and how they interact with other environments.” The doctor began explaining as he gestured for Waylon to take a seat on an examination table. It was pretty basic, a metal table meant to hold a body, it was far bigger than Waylon, meant with creature’s Eddie’s size in mind. He really had to jump to get up on it, using his hands to boost himself up like a little kid trying to scale a countertop to reach the cookie jar. The doctor hummed, forgetting the specimen was smaller and needing to remind himself to procure a set of booster steps or a stool for him to get up and down from the tables. Until then, he wouldn’t mind providing assistance, placing a hand at Waylon’s lower back and giving a slight push up to get him completely on the table. Waylon turned around and situated himself so his legs were hanging over the edge. His feet dangling and swaying back and forth in idle motion.

 

“The purpose of these studies are to decide what sort of environment humans can survive.” The doctor continued to explain as the nurse pushed a cart towards the table already prepared with a series of objects for use. Not all would be used at the time, only what may be of use during this point of the study.

 

“Why do you need to know that?” Waylon asked warily, his eyes flitted from the doctor towards the tray, lingering over all the strange objects. The silver haired male seemed unfazed by the obvious nervousness that stirred within the small blonde before him.

 

He pulled on a pair of gloves and picked up a clear screen like device. It lit up with x-rays of Waylon’s body from earlier. It also contained an active monitor of Waylon’s heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. All of this was being transmitted by the silver bracelet like device on his wrist. “I’m afraid yer planet is experiencing a rapid form of premature deterioration. It will be expiring long before it’s time.” He spoke simply as if this was a commonplace occurrence. “Yer species is young ‘n holds so much potential. The council among our kind has decided to give ya a second chance. To see if yer worth savin.”

 

This wasn’t new to Waylon. They’ve known for a while that the planet was experiencing an influx in change. Global warming, climate change, the increased shifting of tectonic plates, mass soil erosion, etc. Let alone the mass destruction of wild lands and habitats for human overpopulation. Extinction or endangerment of thousands of animals each year, poachers and black market groups, nuclear and biological wars, pollution. Humanity was killing its planet faster than ever. The space program used this as motivation to find other planets and was even considering living on mars eventually just so the species would have a chance. It was a tired thought that rested in the back of Waylon’s mind. It wouldn’t happen in his lifetime though, not the end of the world nor recolonization of their species. “If we are worth saving, in the eyes of your people, what will they do to help?”

 

The doctor was half expecting the human to be upset at this revelation. He was surprised by the calm demeanor that remained. “Should the council decide yer worth it, they may rehome a choice percentage of yer species to other colonies or planets.”

 

“I see.” Waylon sighed, moving his fingers to ruffle up the blonde locks into a shaggy mess from their previously neatly combed position.

 

“If that is all yer questions for now, we shall begin.” The doctor explained, shifting the tablet like device to rest off to the side, placing it on a stand attached to the cart. So the display was in easy view of his work. Waylon’s heart rate rose a couple bpms at those words and the doctor noted this. “There is no reason to be afraid. No permanent harm will come to ya.”

 

Waylon gave a nervous laugh. “So I just have to fear the temporary parts.” He cleared his throat and watched as the doctor picked up a cylindrical tool with a see through tube in the center. The top portion had a button to press down on and the bottom appeared to be smooth with small holes in them.

 

He carefully took Waylon by the arm and rolled his sleeve up to his bicep, moving it out of the way before resting the flat portion against his skin. Waylon sucked in a deep breath from the cold temperature of the tool against his warm body. A shiver running down his spine. “Hold completely still now.” The doctor warned, his grip on Waylon’s arm tightened to prevent the male from jerking away as he pressed the button on the top of the tool. Five small needles were pressed through the holes and into Waylon’s arm. He hissed at the sharp pain in his bicep as they began drawing blood. The vial filled up only about half way before the doctor released the switch. Given Waylon’s body size and the fact the tool was meant to draw from their own species, to take a full amount will put Waylon at risk for anemia. He pulled the device away and handed it to the same brunette nurse from before who was awaiting the doctor’s commands. She took the tool apart and recovered the cylinder of blood while disposing of the rest into a specialize compartment that Waylon assumed was like a biohazard/sharps container.

 

The doctor wiped away the blood from the astronaut’s arm and placed a small bandage over the circle of red spots. Rolling Waylon’s sleeve back down over it. He turned towards the monitor device and checked for any disruptions in his vitals but everything remained the same. He added a few notes onto the screen, once more in the alien runes like on Eddie’s flight suit. “Now, remove the garments from yer torso and lie down on your stomach for me.” The silver haired male spoke, his eyes still fixed on the monitor. Waylon was delayed in his actions at first before he nodded and pulled the shirt up over his head and folded it neatly to sit off to the side. His bare torso was about average as far as muscle tone goes. He was fit enough for his job but not obnoxiously so. It had also been a little while since he’s worked out given the recent events so his muscle mass was probably a little less then when he left earth.

 

He shifted so all of his body was on the table, feeling the beginning of tingling in his legs from them dangling in place. If he kept that up they would end up falling asleep on him. Another shiver raced throughout his body as he rested his bare skin against the metal surface of the table, goosebumps rising on his arms as the hairs stood on end. The doctor seemed curious about this response and paused to get a closer look. “What was that?”

 

“What was what?” Waylon asked in confusion, looking back up at the silver haired male, his eyes meeting the liquid silver gaze, following it to see him pointing out the bumps on his skin. “Oh, goosebumps? It’s our body’s natural reaction to changes in our environment. Most often it’s seen when we touch something cold. It happens when a portion of our body is introduced to heightened or acute sensations.”

 

The doctor hummed in thought, rummaging over this new information in his mind before he turned back to his tablet using it to scan one of Waylon’s arms, producing a picture of the goosebumps response and adding more lines of the foreign squiggly language below it. Waylon assumed he was taking notes. After a minute more, the doctor turned back with a series of small circular patches with wires attached to them. They were connected to a sensor that would record the data and transmit it to the tablet. The doctor placed the patches at multiple points down Waylon’s back. One on either side of his spine going up. A pair at his lower back, a pair in the middle of his back and a pair between his shoulder blades. There was one at the base of his skull, and one on each temple.

 

His arms were repositioned to rest out in front of his body in a pose like superman flying, a small square cushion was used for him to rest his head against. He was urged to bite a small piece of what he would assume was moldable plastic or rubber. It tasted foul on his tongue and made him shudder with revoltion. “Hold completely still. This next part will be uncomfortable.” He warned, giving Waylon no time to get nervous at those words. At the press of a button, an electric shock resonated from the patches and raced throughout his body. Waylon bit down hard on the mold as his body tightened up, his fingers curling into fists as he groaned. The muscles and nerves in his body straining, some bulging in places on his body from the stimulation. It was painful to say the least, like being hit with a taser in multiple places all over his form. His vision whited out, blinding and painful before it fell back to black.

  
  
  


 

 

_The low murmurs, clicks and chirps ringing around him in an endless mantra. He twisted and turned in the darkness, begging for it to stop. For it to end but it never did. He covered his ear with his hands but it only made them louder. The hands pulling at him in the dark, dragging him across the floor towards the unknown. Towards the shadows reaching out to devour him. He cried out, grasping for anything he could to stop himself, nails digging into the floor, raking across but to no avail. He turned back, kicking outward at the hands, swinging wildly to push them away. The dull vibrations rising in the air. The steady hum growing louder and louder. No, coming closer._

 

Eddie was kneeling in the center of the room. The bed frame was smashed into a couple dozen pieces, scattered all about. Claw marks scratched up the walls and floors. A colorful liquid like spilled oil floating atop water stained the surfaces. Bits of the blue eyed male’s talons were lying about. That same colorful liquid dripping from his fingertips where his claws were broken or split painfully. The same for the claws of his feet. His eyes were wide and wild, staring down at the floor. The color organs on his body were checkered between neon pink and reds across his chest and back, displaying his fear and anger. But there was also a bright turquoise that rested on the markings around his throat, ears and palms. This represented sorrow. They were a constant glow in the darker room.

 

Night had fallen already, the lights outside were gone and the stars outside were a beautiful speckling across the black velvet of sky. A sight that failed to reach the inside of the facility.

 

The doctor hadn’t expected his human specimen to pass out during the examination, finding the electrical pulses used for scanning his body may have been too much for the smaller male despite turning down the voltage to half that of what he would use on their own kind. With his specimen currently unresponsive, he decided it was time to check on Eddie, only to find the room was in shambles and the younger male looked even more upset. He had only just entered the room and noticed the worrisome state of his counterpart. He took a deep breath as a steady vibration resonated from his chest, a low hum meant to soothe the other as he approached, wary of his actions. The door was shut tightly behind him to prevent the upset male from escaping should the situation turn sour. “Eddie.” He spoke carefully, using the more familiar speech of humans. Their own kind at the colony had become so accustomed to using and listening to human speech through their studies that they were more inclined to use it as a first choice when speaking amidst each other. Of course those outside the colony would be concerned if they suddenly began conversation in the foreign language.

 

As he stepped halfway into the room, the six tendrils in Eddie’s back ripped through his shirt and stretched out around him defensively. His head hung, gaze remaining fixed to the floor. He was lost somewhere in the depths of his mind. The doctor started to think he may have overestimated his counterpart’s psychological threshold when he sentenced him to the extended punishment. He continued the low hums as he stepped closer, wary of the tendrils coiled around Eddie, prepared to strike out. His silvery pools watching every part of his body, searching for any signs or tells of outward aggression. His foot bumped against one of the metal pieces that once made up the bed, it rolled across the floor and skidded to a stop against Eddie’s thigh. The male flinched at the object, his response was a hair trigger as he lunged for the doctor. His teeth bared as the tendrils shot out towards him.

 

The doctor held his arms up to defend himself, the tendrils wrapping around his forearms but he couldn’t stop Eddie as the massive male charged into him, knocking him back against the wall and pinning him. The doctor held him off, strong arming him back so they were at a standstill. Eddie wasn’t thinking rationally but he had size on the silver haired male but the doctor had his wits about him and still held higher presence over the male. He pressed back, his claws digging into the floor for leverage, using the wall at his back, his own tendrils pushing out of their ports to brace against the wall. The deep humming grew louder and higher in pitch. Eddie snapped his sharp teeth at the male, baring them in a dangerous snarl. The colors on his body flaring up in reds and oranges and yellows, the turquoise was lost to a faint hue around the throat. Orange mixing in with the conflicting expressions. “Eddie!” He hissed, feeling his footing beginning to slip. He groaned as the larger male pushed back, one of his tendrils getting pinned and pinched between his back and the wall. A shriek erupted from his chest, jarring the larger male briefly. The doctor took the chance to push back and slip under the male’s arms. He twisted his wrists to get a firm hold on Eddie’s tendrils and pulled, dragging the larger male back off his feet and slamming his full body to the ground.

 

The form landed in the heap of debris from the bed frame, the metal pieces scattering across the floor and ringing in the quiet of the room. The doctor resumed the deep vibrating sound in his chest cavity. Eddie shook his head, hands moving to cover his ears and block out the sound, curling up on the floor but it was hopeless. “ _Stop_ …” Eddie gasped. “Make it stop.” The words were frantic, desperate for peace of mind. “Please.” The color patterns on his body reverted back to the turquoise and neon pink, displaying fear and despair. The deep blue hues of his eyes were glistening like sapphires set back against the night sky. His tendrils retracted back to their ports, the scaly lids closing back over them.

 

“Eddie?” The doctor asked, approaching slowly towards his counterpart. He was uncertain on rather Eddie was aware of his presence or still trapped in the desolate echoes of hallucinations caused by the sound chamber.

 

Eddie’s hands slowly moved from their place over his ears. His form was shaken up, hands curled closer to his chest in an awkward formation. It took the doctor a moment to realize he was cradling his hands to prevent from further damaging or agitating the broken talons still dripping their iridescent blood. “I’m sorry sir.” His gaze was cognizant, turning to meet the voice that called his name. “I’m sorry.”

 

The doctor’s lips curled into a smile of approval as he knelt beside the male, the vibrations faded to silence but it was not a suffocating one. He placed a hand on the larger male’s shoulder to provide reassurance and help calm his upset. “Everythin is alright now.” He crooned, moving his hand to hook under Eddie’s bicep to pull him upright. “Com’on, let’s get ya cleaned up.”


	7. The Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble is brewing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song for this chapter is The Wolf by Siamese.

The doctor had Eddie take a seat on the table to get his hands treated, he wrapped them in a cloth to stem the bleeding for the time being, leaving him to hold the cloth tightly while he prepared some necessary items. The male relaxed on the table, his feet hovering above the floor to keep them from scraping against the already agitated and damaged claws. His blue orbs turning to glance around the room when a familiar scent rose up to his nostrils, drawing his attention towards the medical cart nearby. It was set aside, out of the way with a neatly folded white fabric resting atop. When the silver haired male returned, Eddie’s gaze remained fixed on the fabric as he spoke. “How is Waylon doing?”

 

Liquid silver pools settled on his counterpart, his hands taking Eddie’s to begin treating the damage. Using a sterile swab to coat each in a liquid form of the same artificial cells he used to seal and treat Waylon’s back injury. Eddie winced at the touch but otherwise remained still for the doctor. “He’s doin fine. What makes ya ask?” He inquired casually, pausing to fix the glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. 

 

“He was here.” His gaze shifted from the cart back towards the doctor. “You began the tests already, haven’t you?” He was uneasy as he considered this, the tension growing in the air between them before Eddie hissed at the stinging in one of his claws as the doctor finished up treating his hands. He gave the male a pair of special gloves to wear over them until they were completely healed. 

 

“We have.” He spoke curtly, his tone a little more strained in addressing this topic. He knew Eddie disliked the deal Waylon made with him. That the darker haired male was still rather young in comparison and brash. Ever since he was just a hatchling, the doctor has kept an eye on him, watching him grow up. He was strong but still impulsive and stubborn. Too naive for his own good.  _ ‘You still have so much growing up to do little one.’  _ He sighed. “It’s nothin for ya to fret about. You need to worry about yerself.”

 

“But-” Eddie started but a stern look from those silver pools and Eddie’s words faded on his tongue. He lowered his head in submission, no enforcement needed. He knew his place in the situation and he knew the doctor far too well to even dream he had a chance against him. After all, the man raised him since he was a hatchling. 

 

“Feet up. Com’on.” The doctor patted Eddie’s thigh as he stood up, urging his legs up onto the table. Eddie sat back on it, drawing them up to rest against the colder metal. The temperature didn’t have the same effect on him that it did Waylon. It was just another sensation to him. Once his legs were up and stretched out, small beads of iridescent blood glistening in the lights, the doctor urged him to lie back. “Relax.” He cooed softly, resting a hand over Eddie’s eyes. The larger male closed them and took a deep breath, letting his body settle. “Atta boy.” The doctor hummed as he situated himself at the end of the table and started cleaning up the blood and Eddie’s damaged claws. Repeating the same process from before. The larger male’s feet would twitch or jerk slightly, a deep breath drawn in at the acute shocks of pain and discomfort but before long they were bandaged and ready to go. “There. Good as new.”

 

Eddie gave a short click of acknowledgement and moved to sit up until the doctor stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. The fingers moved down to his back finding a small nerve in the center of the spine. A focused pressure against the point made the scaly ports on Eddie’s back open up and the long tendrils spilled out of their spots, drawing a soft whimper from the larger male. They were limp and hanging freely as the doctor carefully examined each of the inky black appendages. Looking for any signs of strain or damage to them. He was worried after he used them to drag Eddie’s full body weight over him. That placed over four hundred pounds of force on the boneless tendrils. In some cases, it’s enough to rip one of them clean off. 

 

When he was satisfied that he hadn’t caused his counterpart any severe harm, he rubbed his hand over the nerve to bring some movement back into the area. Allowing the numb sensation to fade and the male to pull his appendages back into their ports. “I hope I don’t have ta remind ya to get some rest.” He purred, giving Eddie a stern look and gaining a nod of affirmation in return. He folded his arms and sighed, giving a wayward glance before shaking his head, mumbling to himself. “What am I to do with ya?”

 

No longer requiring observation, Eddie was sent back to his residential unit to relax and get some rest. In the meantime, the doctor had other patients to tend to.

  
  
  
  


 

 

“Dr. Trager!” A brunette nurse called as she burst through into the main facility lobby in a panic. Her violet eyes were wide and terrified, clutching at her side where a massive claw wound raked across her body. The bright colorful iridescent blood pooled down the front of her smock and soaked into the white fabric, portraying a tye dye of vibrant colors. The doctor bristled at the signs of danger, rushing towards the young nurse and pulling her closer to himself as his eyes searched the hall she had come from for any signs of her aggressor. 

 

“What happened?” He demanded, his calm demeanor displaying small cracks in it’s illusion.

 

“It’s...the t-twins.” She coughed, grasping at her injury as more of the liquid pooled out and spilled across the floor. “They’re out of their cells.” 

 

The doctor’s grip tightened, his expression flashed momentary anguish. “We’re going into lock down.” He announced loudly as he turned towards another nurse and gestured for her to help the violet eyed woman as he headed the way she came. The nurses rushed for an enclosed room that was built like a fallout shelter. The building itself locked down the entrances and any rooms not already open. The only ones allowed access were guards and higher level staff like himself. There were guards in black uniforms already scouring the halls of the facility trying to find the escapees.  Earlier that day the twins had been brought in and placed into separate observation rooms. Like Eddie, they weren’t responsive upon being removed from the sound chamber and for the longest time, the showed no signs of consciousness. 

 

It wasn’t long before he followed the trail of blood from the nurse and entered the examination room. There was bright iridescent blood everywhere. Claws and hand prints littered the floors and ceilings and walls. The medical cart from earlier was flipped over with the objects scattered. Bloody print trekked all over the examination table like one of them had climbed up on it. The white fabric garment that was folded up prior on the cart was missing as well. The prints trekked deeper into the building like they came to the exam room then turned back around. Guards flanked him on either side as they swept from one room to the next.

 

Leading to the hallways where the observation rooms were, the two doors that held the twins inside were nearly completely ripped out of their frames. The frames cracked and bowed around them, distorted by a large mass. There was blood covering the inside of the rooms as if they had severely injured themselves. The trail that back tracked led to the door that remained closed but had held the human specimen on the other side. They appeared to have lingered. Large claw marks marred the exterior and there were dents in the doorway that showed they had attempted entry. Trager could only assume they were too injured or worn out to destroy another doorway. 

 

Following the tracks from there led to the other end of the hall where the corridor intersected. There was a hall going left and a hall going right. Both had tracks going down them. Trager split the team up and went two different directions. He turn the route going left, leading back around in a circular curve towards a storage room where their inventory was. The other hall headed towards their laboratory where more in depth research goes on. It felt like they had been walking forever when they reached the doors at the end of the hall. The door was sealed due to the lock down protocol. Lying on the floor beside it was the body of one of the doctor’s staff. Bloody hand prints smeared from the entry code module beside the locking mechanism. The screen was glowing red with the words in their native language depicting a phrase along the lines of “ **ACCESS DENIED** ”. Trager felt sickness rolling in his stomach, a hand rising to cover his mouth as the white garbs of the nurse was soaked nearly every inch in the iridescent fluid. Her body was pulled away from the door, eyes wide and face twisted up into a horrified scream. Her chest was a massive gaping wound where both hearts were eaten out of along with part of a lung. Pieces of the hearts remained lodged against the sides of the chest cavity and attached to the arteries. Massive claw and teeth marks proved it was one of their own that had done the damage. 

 

Trager stepped away from the body, his color organs turning starch white beneath the holoprojector disguise. The module had her bloodied fingerprints on it from pressing in her staff code over and over again trying to seek cover. She was too low level to override a lock down command.  His eyes trailed away from the sight and followed the new tracks running along the ceiling. Bloodied claw prints leading away down the direction they came from. They hurried towards the corridor, instead of turning they continued straight and spotted the trail resumed, dropping from the ceiling down to the floor. It led into the lab where the second half of the team was waiting. There was no sign of entry. No blood or damage. The lab appeared to be completely untouched. They spent several minutes searching the room but couldn’t figure out where the twins had gone.

 

They were beginning to leave the room when another team of guards transmitted a message to the team with the doctor. A small communication device was on the wrist of each of the guards allowing voice transmissions back and forth between the security in the colony. They spoke in their native tongue of clicks and chirps. The team outside caught a glimpse of the twins vacating the front entrance of the building and made their way for the fields. The team searched the farming land and found blood trails that stopped heading the direction of the forests. A place that would be too dangerous to go hunting for them in, in the dark. 

 

While the guards spoke about the sighting, the doctor took a light from one and moved towards a wall panel where large machines were built into. They were cold storage cases full of samples and specimens they were actively testing. Small animals, cell clusters, plants, etc. Some of the specimens seemed a little out of place as if they were tilted in their cradles or uneven. He looked closer, finding small scratches in the floor from the large heavy cases being moved. The cases themselves were fixed against the back paneling as a support so they wouldn’t fall over. This entire sheet of paneling with pulled out of the wall, the seams where they were molded into place were popped free and bent, easily overlooked. Likewise for the small splatters of blood on the edges and inside the paneling. Behind the wall was narrow maintenance compartment that laid all the power sources in the buildings to their necessary points. Someone of average size in their species wouldn’t be able to fit but those smaller like himself and the twins, would easily be able to slip into the narrow space and follow it through the building to the front lobby. “This is where they got out.” The doctor announced, turning back around to face the black scaly guards. His calm demeanor was crestfallen. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, shaking his head in disgust.

 

The security teams set up patrols to surround the compound and issue a curfew to keep the other members inside their residential units with the doors locks. Anyone who needed to leave their units for any reason was escorted by security between locations. Trager returned to the front of the lobby and called all of his staff together to review what had happened. He told his staff that the incident was not to leave the building. A full investigation was already underway and the culprits of the attack were being sought out. The injured nurse was taken to recovery and maintenance was already handling the casualties and structural damage. The human specimen had been escorted to Eddie’s residential unit, flanked by guards on both sides. He was unaware of what had transpired in the building. 

 

After losing consciousness during the first examination, Trager had Waylon taken to the doctor’s residential unit to rest while he handled Eddie. He had a theory about Eddie’s connection with Waylon and wanted to test it. Purposely leaving the article of clothing from Waylon in the exam room when he brought Eddie in to be treated. What he was looking for was a response to the presence of the clothing and he had received exactly that. What he hadn’t anticipated was the response the twins had in regards to Waylon’s presence in the building. Luckily enough, Trager had him removed from the building beforehand otherwise there may have been far more casualties on the premises. 

 

Eddie was startled to see the two very large figures in black uniforms surrounding the very small and fragile looking human. Waylon looked as if he had just been disturbed from a long nap, rubbing his eyes clear with his palms as he gazed up at Eddie. His pale blue orbs widening when they met Eddie’s gaze. He stiffened, tensing up as he did a double take on Eddie’s appearance. It took the larger dark haired male a moment to realize he wasn’t wearing his holoprojector and this was the first time Waylon was seeing Eddie without it. “Good evening Waylon.” He greeted, putting on his most warm and welcoming smile, spreading his lips into a curl on the edges, sharp teeth peeking out, further unnerving the already anxious human. 

 

The guards glanced between the pair in confusion before speaking in their native tongue to Eddie, passing on the orders from Trager that he was to resume his position of guardian over the human specimen. Waylon paled at the sounds of the chittering filtering in the air. He swayed on his feet, looking like he was about to lose his balance when Eddie hissed out at the guards, shooing them away as he wrapped an arm around the male, guiding him back inside his home. He took Waylon to the kitchen area, situating him on a stool so he could lean against the countertop and moving to retrieve a bottle of water. Setting it in front of Waylon who graciously accepted the offer and took several large gulps. A deep sigh rushed from his chest as he held his head in his hands and took another long slow deep breath to calm himself. 

 

“I’m terribly sorry for my unsightly appearance darling. My holoprojector is missing at the moment and I have yet to procure a new one. I hope I’m not too ghastly.” He lamented, reaching over slowly to place a hand on Waylon’s back and rub slow soothing circles. Waylon tensed at first then relaxed at the familiar touch. He sat up more in his chair, blonde locks falling off to the side in a haphazard mess as he gazed up at the larger male’s sapphire orbs. 

 

He reached up towards Eddie who held perfectly still, eyes wary of the interaction. Searching Waylon’s features for any tell of his intentions when the smaller human’s fingers brushed through Eddie’s dark combed back locks and made a quick back and forth motion, ruffling them up into a mess. A smile spreading wide across Waylon’s face as he chuckled. “So that’s what it looks like.” Waylon hummed, tilting his head to the side with a smirk. “It’s always so perfect. Not a single hair out of place. I wanted to know what it would look like messed up.”

 

Eddie’s colored spots flared up neon green in embarrassment then checkered back and forth between that and blue showing his happiness at the human’s acceptance. He returned the gesture as his fingers brushed the messy locks out of Waylon’s face, exposing the crystal blue pearls that were hidden behind the curtain of gold. He hummed softly, tilting his head into the scaly touch of the other’s wrist against his cheek but finding it just as soft and silky as a human’s. Smoother even. His gaze shifted from Eddie’s features before turning towards the male’s hands, taking note of the strange glove like accessories he hadn’t noticed before. “What’s this?’ Waylon asked curiously, the drowsiness still lingering in his features but now joined with his inquiring nature. 

 

“My claws are damaged. These are to help them heal. I have to wear them for a couple of days.” Waylon’s brows furrowed in another question but Eddie simply shook his head. “I’ll be alright darling. You will not be unless you head to bed. Come on.” Waylon groaned at the parental tone the larger male was using. He draped himself over the edge of the counter as if he intended to sleep right there, a weary attempt at a pout. Eddie simply laughed and scooped the human up with all the ease of carrying a feather. Returning him to his rightful place in the cradle. Waylon gave only a small attempt at protest, ruffling up Eddie’s black locks again and plucking at them to make some of them stand up in odd ways before they fell back over. A chuckle leaving his throat as Eddie laid him down in the bed and pulled the sleeping bag portion up over him. After Waylon’s injury, Eddie had come back and cleaned all of the blood off of the cradle, trying to prepare it for when his human returned. After his punishment he was afraid Trager was going to keep him and Waylon apart but something seemed to have changed the man’s mind. Either way, Eddie was happy to have his human back in his rightful place. 


	8. Faded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some down time for our boys. (Because they deserve it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song featured this time is Faded by Alan Walker (preferably the instrumental version but the lyric version is good too.)

“Why is it that all of you speak English?” Waylon asked, glancing around between Eddie and the silver haired doctor working on his diagram of the human anatomy. The diagram was built off of the results of the electrical stimulation Trager had inflicted upon Waylon’s nervous system, giving him a complete map of the astronaut’s body in the process right down to the last cell. It was a good place to start with his studies of a living human specimen.

 

“We learned it from linking up with your satellites.” Eddie stated simply, giving Waylon a wayward glance as he rifled through a box of scrap parts as he focused on fixing his holoprojector. His fingers sliding across the touch screen built into the surface of the table, glancing between the parts he needs, his broken projector and the blueprints of the device telling him how it functions. The male was frustrated with the continued failure to get it working properly. “It is where we learned of your people’s customs and styles.”

 

Waylon snorted, leaning against the table Eddie was working at, resting his head in his palm casually. “I think you guys hacked the american satellites. Our planet is brimming with literally thousands of languages. English is just one of the more common.” He explained, tilting his head to the side. “Next to that is Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Russian.” He glanced between the pair as he considered their clothing styles. “By learn our customs, does that include watching our forms of entertainment?”

 

They had all gathered in Trager’s home for the day, the place was big, but consisted of one room. It resembled the large main room in Eddie’s home with the kitchen area and expanse of space. The furniture was mostly pod like, resembling the cradle at Eddie’s home only with open sides and it was more upright instead of reclined. At the moment, Waylon had one pulled up close to the table with his legs crossed as he sat, the chair being massive to him and allowing for space. The only problem being he was barely able to reach the table comfortably due to the size differences in the creatures and himself.

 

“Why do you have so many languages? Our people only speak one.” Eddie’s bright vibrant blue orbs shifted from Waylon when the blonde astronaut glanced at their clothing choices. Eddie’s was more proper now that he didn’t have to pretend to be a human astronaut. They were of his own creation. A tie and vest over a white silken shirt. The white made his black scaly skin stand out. It was strange trying to get used to the absence of his holoprojector. Since it’s earlier removal, it was somehow busted in the hands of the guards. He knew he couldn’t trust them with his things. He picked up another spare part with wires and fasteners attached only to toss it back into the box with a sigh. “What’s wrong with our garments?”

 

“What’s wrong with them? You look like you walked out of a black and white Hollywood film. And he-” He pointed towards the silver haired doctor as the male fixed his glasses on his nose. Situating them back in place as he gazed over at the small human with an inquiring look. “-looks like a hippie professor from the seventies. I feel like he’s just missing the flower crowns and the tye dye shirt.” Trager’s current garments consisted of black trousers that resembled sweatpants and a tan long sleeve rolled up neatly to the elbows. He looked like he was ready to lead a yoga or meditation class, which considering Waylon does those sort of workouts at home as part of his private routine, it kind of made him want to do more of that while he was here. God knows he needs the relief.

 

“Are these not common place garments on your planet?” Eddie looked confused, his brows furrowing as he looked back towards the doctor. Trager appeared unfazed by the question and continued adjusting his diagram and inputting data into the tablet in front of him, clicking the strange squiggly keys.

 

“For Halloween or themed parties, yes. Everyday attire, no.” He chuckled at the pair of extraterrestrials. The doctor shrugged the thought off, leaving Eddie to be the only one seriously contemplating his current attire. Seeming self-conscious about it all of a sudden. “Don’t fret about it.” Waylon sighed, giving a soft smile of reassurance, finding he was only teasing the male to get a rise out of him, not really meaning most of it. “I think it looks good on you.” Eddie flushed with purple and neon green hues flickering on his color organs. Waylon hadn’t meant to upset the larger male. If he was going to be of assistance to these two in the study of his species, he thought he would provide some more current factual information instead of the outdated broadcasts the species seems to have hoarded as ‘research data’. Come to find out, they thought fictional movies were a form of documentaries or home videos for humans.

 

It had been a couple days since the incident at the medical facility and the trio were spending time flitting between Eddie’s residence and Trager’s which was on the opposite side of the compound from the red ringed medical building. Waylon briefly remembered his stay in the dome but it was dark most of the time and he was so exhausted everything looked about the same until the guards showed up. He glanced around the room and spotted the area he had been resting in during his stay. A large pod like bed that was half  open. The head of the bed where the person’s upper half sleeps is enclosed like a cocoon with gel like pads supporting the body forming the mattress portion. There were large plush blankets to wrap up in but Waylon didn’t feel the need since he was already comfortably warm. The bottom half of the bed was open and there was a faint light that resembled a black light to Waylon that glowed inside with a bunch of smaller soft white lights giving the ceiling of the enclosed portion a starry sky look.

 

There was also a couch that dipped down for one to stretch out on that they had been using earlier. The current space they were occupying was the kitchen counter/table and it was massive. Big enough to fit a dozen humans or about five of Eddie’s people comfortably. They had to bring the chair from the living room in for Waylon to sit on because the kitchen table chairs didn’t reach the table for him. It was funny seeing the screen built in given it was a kitchen table but what he had gathered was it was also Trager’s primary work space and area he meets with others at when they are in his residential unit.

 

The colony was still on alert with an influx in security patrolling daily. Eddie and Waylon needed to be escorted to and from Trager’s place and the facility was closed for a few days. Trager was making house calls whenever he needed to and when asked about the incident, they simply stated there was a short in one of their systems and it caused a fire to break out. Neither Eddie nor Waylon knew what really happened inside the facility. Trager gave no hints at it either but he was much quieter then normal. Spending all of his time working on his data he collected from Waylon so far. “Alrighty then. Waylon com’ mere.” He gestured for the human to come around to his side of the table. The male hopped down from his chair and padded over to where Trager sat, waiting for the silver haired male to explain what he wanted.

 

“Lift yer shirt up for me.” Waylon blushed a soft pink tone at the abrupt command but he did as directed and raised the white t-shirt provided by Eddie. Trager held up his diagram on his tablet and was able to sync it with Waylon using the bracelet on his wrist as an anchor point producing a live feed x-ray of his organs and skeletal structure. Wherever the tablet moved on his body, Trager could see everything going on inside his specimen. Even the very auditory rumble of the male’s stomach. Eddie glanced up with a look of immense concern at the sound, giving Trager a glare as if the doctor had done something to upset the human. “Sounds like it’s feedin time.”

 

“You make it sound like I’m your dog.” Waylon huffed, dropping his shirt back down over his torso. Trager gave a chuckle of amusement as he got up, turning the tablet off and setting it aside. Waylon returned to his chair and hopped up into it, resuming his earlier indian style cross legged pose. Given the height difference of the furniture, he couldn’t just let his legs dangle without them falling completely asleep. The first time it happened after he returned to Eddie’s care, the larger male nearly had a panic attack thinking Waylon had become paralyzed from the waist down. Not realizing it was a circulation problem.

 

Eddie reached out and ruffled Waylon’s hair in a gesture of affection, giving him a soft pat before going back to focusing on his task. He was determined to get his holoprojector working even if he didn’t need it immediately, he still liked having it. Not wearing it made him feel naked in a way and he didn’t like that feeling one bit.

 

Waylon relaxed back in the chair, watching the doctor as he cooked. The ingredients were unfamiliar to him and some he briefly remembered growing on the farming plots from the night he ran away from Eddie. There was a large root looking one but it was a rusty almost rotted looking brown that the doctor started to clean and chop up into small cubes. The inside was only a lighter looking rotted brown color. He cooked it in a pan while he turned his attention towards a bowl of what looked like grains but they were blood red. He splashed a white creamy liquid into it and mixed in small sprigs of golden leaves. There were other what looked like spices being added to the mix. One he could tell by the scent alone, that it was cinnamon.

 

He mixed it all up, still containing it’s blood red appearance as he cooked it in a pan on the stove beside the other. The next part was even stranger than the previous. What looked like a whole leg of one of the zebra/camel creatures was taken from a cold storage compartment where it was hanging from a hook and was laid out on a butchering block and Waylon watched the doctor cut the luminescent striped skin away and trim the pieces right down to the bone. Cutting away large strips of what appeared to be black meat from it and placing them in a pan with oil in the bottom. The meat sizzled as it cooked on the large stove top. The doctor put what was left of the leg back into the cold storage for later, humming softly to himself as he moved from place to place, task to task.

 

Despite the very unappetizing color of the food, it smelled delicious on the air. Like a good home cooked meal and it made Waylon’s belly rumble louder. When the food was done, the doctor doled out separate plates for each, two of the had massive portions on them and one was much smaller. Though on the huge plate, it looked like child’s portions to Waylon. “Eddie, put those away. It’s time ta eat.” The doctor scolded, shooing the box of parts off of the table to Eddie’s annoyance. He relinquished his work and stared at the plate as it was placed before him. Waylon was hesitant to partake of the food at first, giving it a long suspicious stare to which Trager had noticed. “It’s perfectly safe fer consumption Waylon.” He chuckled when the blonde gave him an incredulous look. “The ingredients used are altered versions of yer planet’s organisms. When introduced to our red farmin soil, they took on the colors ya see there. They begin life as green sprouts but change orange or red by time we harvest.”

 

Waylon was puzzled at first but as he thought about it, it made a little more sense to him. He took up the larger eating utensil that the doctor had provided, the object resembling a spork to which he couldn’t stop the amusement from reaching his features. He tried a small taste of the red paste like substance to which he discovered had the same light airy creaminess of mashed potatoes only it was sweeter but not too overpowering. The root vegetable was exactly what he thought it was in the start. A sweet potato only it was cubed and fried in a bit of cooking oil giving it a crispy almost french fry like texture that he found appealing but the inside was still a little soft and pleasant. His final test was the meat which he had a bit of a problem cutting into given his utensil of choice was a spork. When he glanced up to inquire about a knife, he quickly realized why that was. Eddie seemed to zone into his meal, to the point any outside interference was ignored. He used the spork to stab the meat and raise the massive chunk up to his mouth where a long serpent like tongue stretched out and attached to it using suckers on the bottom of the appendage. His tongue curled downward around the meat, holding it firmly in place as it was drawn back into his mouth and proceeded to swallow it whole.

 

The blonde was both startled and amazed by this display. Especially since this was the first time he’s seen Eddie eat anything in front of him. The look in his eyes was the way a dog looks at human food. The blonde gave a startled gasp when he felt a hand touch his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly in his seat and whirl around to spy the doctor’s amused expression. He had yet to touch the food at his plate and it was apparent he had been watching Waylon’s reaction while eating the new foods. “Need a little help?” He asked, pointing at the large cut of meat.

 

Waylon gave an affirmative nod to which the doctor got up and retrieved a knife from a cutting block. Using it to dice the slab of meat up into bite sized human portions before pushing the plate back towards Waylon and resuming his seat beside the astronaut. “Don’t mind him. Our species has an obsession with food. It’s written n’ our DNA. No matter how hard we try ‘n conform ta the ways of others, we can’t escape our origins. Doesn’t matter how civilized we are now.” As these words left the doctor’s lips, there seemed to be a pained look in those liquid silver pools. Something Waylon has never seen cross the silver haired man’s face.

 

Out of respect, he turned his gaze back down to his plate mumbling an appreciative word of thanks for the assistance as he proceeded to eat the little black meaty chunks. He was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted just like beef to him. With the way it was cooked, it was like he was having a steak dinner back home. He had no qualms about finishing his meal after that, cleaning his plate for every morsel offered though the portion size was bigger then he was used to and he was completely stuffed by the end. The doctor gave an amused laugh when he spied that both male’s had clean their plates on the verge of licking them clean. “Ya two act like a couple a rabid Whifflers.” He shook his head with his lips drawn into a small smile, collecting the dishes as Eddie resumed his work on the holoprojector.

 

Waylon was lying back against the chair, a hand resting on his belly giving it a pleasant rub, his legs hanging down over the edge of the chair to give himself a little more space. He felt like he had just finished a Thanksgiving meal and was ready for a spot on the couch for the next three hours, though he had no intention of moving from this current spot. That was simply too much effort. “What’s a Whiffler?” The blonde inquired.

 

Eddie hissed in frustration, his color spots flaring oranges and yellows as the holoprojector sparked and shocked his fingers. “The animal from which the meat you just ate came from.” His blue orbs glanced up towards his human as he spoke, his gaze resting on Waylon’s current position. His brows furrowed in confusion, his color organs flashing yellow and turquoise in a state of concern at the irregular posture and behavior of his human. He dropped the holoprojector onto the table and turned towards Waylon more completely, his voice underlying with a slivers of growing panic. “Are you alright? You’re not sick are you?”

 

Waylon was about to speak when he covered his mouth to stifle a belch, his cheeks flushing a soft pink of embarrassment as he shook his head. “I’m fine. Just stuffed. Possibly the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

 

“Stuffed? Did we overfeed you? Do you need to expel some of the excess consumption?” Eddie was on his feet now, easily looming over Waylon with his concern. Trager was standing on the other side of the counter watching the entire situation play out with a wide smirk of amusement towards his counterpart.

 

Waylon’s face scrunched up in even greater confusion to which only further concerned Eddie. “What?” He rasped, not sure rather to laugh or be worried at the inquiry. “No, no. I just need a nap. I’ll sleep it off. It’s a common practice for humans to eat until they’re full then sleep afterwards. It expresses our enjoyment of the meal.” He tried to explain the best way he could think of to disarm Eddie’s alarm.

 

It took a minute for the information to click in Eddie’s mind before he relaxed and gave Waylon some space. “Oh, I see.”

 

“It seems the human is also immobilized by this occurrence.” Trager mused from his spot, fiddling with his tablet once again and holding it up to scan Waylon’s body from across the table. The tablet processed the information about how Waylon’s body was breaking down and handling the nutrients he consumed. “Eddie, could you assist Waylon ta the bed? I highly doubt that current position is beneficial to the digestive process.”

 

Waylon chuckled. “You’d be surprised. We humans will sleep just about anywhere. We’re renowned lounge lizards.”

 

“Lounge Lizards? But I thought you were humans. Are you two species?” Eddie was deeply confused by this, looking between Waylon and Trager as if expecting the doctor to know the answer to this problem.

 

Waylon shook his head and shifted to an upright position in the chair. “It’s an expression Eddie. Lizards on our planet spend most of their time sleeping or lying in the sun all day. They don’t move around much, especially after a meal. Human’s use this expression to compare others to the idle reptiles.” The raven haired male gave a sound of understanding as he carefully scooped his human up into his arms, propping him up on his arm so he was still upright and somewhat seated before depositing him in the bed on the other side of the room. “You know I could have walked over here myself.”

 

“I know. I find enjoyment in this anyway.” Eddie crooned, giving his human a soft kiss on the forehead.

 

“Why do you do that?” Waylon inquired softly, gazing up at the male.

 

Eddie drew back slowly and tilted his head. “It is a human form of expressing affection and fondness, is it not?” Waylon’s face gained a soft pink flush as he nodded in affirmation. Eddie made a light chirp before asking. “Does it make you uncomfortable when I do that?”

 

Waylon shook his head slowly. “It’s alright. I don’t mind. I was just curious if it meant something specific to your people.”

 

Eddie hummed in thought, his sharp teeth biting his bottom lip as he glanced over his shoulder to where Trager was working on the clear tablet. His attention away from the pair before he looked back at the human and spoke. “Would you like to see what it is we do to express affection to one another?” Waylon nodded in affirmation. Eddie smiled, taking Waylon’s hands and drawing them up to his chest, holding them in the center so the human could feel the strong beat of both of the alien’s hearts. He closed his eyes as his entire body lit up with a multitude of colors, his scales rippling with an entire spectrum that shimmered and glistened. A low rumble that made Waylon think of a large feline started reverberating within Eddie’s chest. The display lasted less than a minute before the colors faded to their solid black and the sound faded out.

 

Waylon’s eyes were wide and mesmerized by the show, finding words failed to reach his lips when it was over. His fingers splayed over the smooth scales as if seeking out a way to trigger it again. “That was...I mean..wow.” He breathed slowly. “I think I like your species’ way much better than ours. That was beautiful.”

 

Eddie seemed relieved by these words, his gaze softening as he held Waylon’s hands in his bandaged palms. His massive paws easily enveloping the others. “I enjoy your species’ way better. It’s more intimate.” He purred. “It feels real and sincere.”

 

The astronaut chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, letting the experience soak in as he searched for the right words. His mind flitting from the warm touch over his hands and the lingering delight from the display. The silence between them was interrupted by the low vibrations coming from Trager’s torso. The doctor standing in the kitchen with arms crossed and silver pools fixed on the pair suspiciously. One brow raised as he gave Eddie ‘the look’. An expression of parental disapproval that was apparently quite literally a universal language. Eddie shrank back when his blue eyes met that look and he drew away from Waylon, leaving him to rest as the raven haired male shuffled back towards the table to resume his work. Shoulders drooped and head hung in submission like a scolded child. The vibrations faded and silence resumed as Trager returned his attention to the tablet in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so grateful for all the feedback I've received so far on this piece. Thank you so much!  
> I really appreciate it! Rather it's thoughts, or questions about this world and the society of Eddie's species. It is all very welcome especially since I love talking about it. It gets me all excited, especially since this is my first time writing something like this and I'm giddy with it and have so much planned to come. 
> 
> PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! If you have any questions about this story, do not be afraid to ask. I will very happily and excitedly answer. (be prepared for a long paragraph because I tend to ramble.) But it helps me stay motivated and I just really love talking about it because sitting here keeping all this bottled up with no one to gush to about it is excruciating. (Like being a fanboy for something nobody else knows about.)
> 
> I love you all! All the people who have commented, kudos and supported me both in this fic and my loyal followers/readers for other fics! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you all so so much!
> 
> P.S - If anyone wants to try doing fanart of Eddie's species, please do. Because I know it's hard for a lot of people to try to imagine what his species looks like and I'd be super happy to see it too. If I wasn't at the level of stick figure drawing, I'd draw a representation piece to show what he looks like.


	9. Running Up That Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tests continue and Eddie explains a little more about how his species works on their home planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Featured song is Running Up That Hill (original by Placebo but there are a lot of good covers for it.)

The sound of bare feet slapping against the flat surface and soft whir of the machine filled the room. Heavy panting as the blonde astronaut ran the treadmill, an oxygen mask placed over his face to help regulate breathing and collect data on the increased respiratory activity. It had small sensors built in that measured each breath, the amount of time between and during. There were small sensors placed all over Waylon’s body, transmitting data to the bracelet on his wrist then syncing with the tablet in the silver haired doctor’s hand. Small beads of sweat trickled down the human’s neck and dampened his golden locks. He wore only a pair of shorts as he pressed on. Trager didn’t want anything getting in the way of the sensors or his view of the specimen’s form.

 

They were in another small dome located nearby Trager’s home. It appeared to be a recreational building with all sorts of equipment used for exercise and physical activity. There were a handful of treadmills, a couple different weight sets and what looked like a dexterity wall one might use for climbing. It had special levers and switches all over it that would create advanced obstacles that the creatures could use. Everything was much larger than what Waylon was used to and he had some trouble with the basic settings. A low tier weight for Eddie’s kind was fifty lbs for a human. Looking at it that way made a lot of sense as to why Eddie considered Waylon to be so easy to carry around. He had some troubles with the treadmill at first, given his size. His legs were smaller and the lower speeds were the equivalent of jogging for him as he tried to keep from getting pushed off.

 

Trager stood by watching every bit of the exercise pushing Waylon a little more each time the human started to slow down. He wanted to see just how long a human can last when put to the very limits of their physical abilities. For the moment it was endurance and stamina. When the test began, Waylon tried to explain that for every human, it was different. Some humans are full runners, some are short distance sprinters, some don’t run at all. Trager took note of this protest but still continued with the test at hand. So far, Waylon had run four kilometers, the equivalent of 2.5 miles. He was already showing signs of fatigue. His breathing had increased, he was sweating in abundance, something their species didn’t experience and his body temperature had greatly increased with his heart rate. “Keep it up. Just a little more.” The doctor urged. Waylon shook his head in disbelief but continued running.

 

Nearby, Eddie was sitting on one of the weight benches watching quietly as the human was pushed to run longer. He was fascinated by the blonde’s dexterity. Normally small prey species would give in long before this point from exhaustion but humans were built the way predatory species were which wasn’t something he really considered Waylon to be. He was small and soft. He didn’t have claws or sharp teeth. His eyes couldn’t see in the dark very well and he had no armor to protect his skin and no tendrils to defend his back. He was surprised human have survived this long as a species, let alone becoming the dominant species of their earth. They certainly must have been clever creature to do so.

 

Waylon continued to run for another kilometer and a half, the equivalent of three and a half miles before his legs buckled beneath him, causing him to fall to the floor. The treadmill dragging him back where Trager picked him up before he hit the floor below. Dragging him up to his feet which didn’t last long before Waylon wanted to sit back down on the floor. His legs were trembling from exhaustion and he was breathing heavily into the mask as he tried to catch his breath. His body was slick with sweat, urging Trager to collect a few samples in the process using small swabs. Eddie rushed over to where his human was with the little valved bottle of water in hand, offering it to the other. His brows furrowed into a look of concern. “Here darling.”

 

Waylon eagerly accepted it, pulling the mask off of his face and taking several large gulps of the cool liquid. Drawing it away to squirt some over his head to cool off. He laid back on the floor so his bare back was against the cooler surface and stretched out, closing his eyes as he relaxed. The human’s current posture resembled a feline stretching in the sun, the bare pale flesh of his body reflecting some of the lighting of the room with the golden locks tousled and damp from the water. A conflicted chirp fell from Eddie’s lips while Trager used the tablet to scan his specimen. When Waylon opened his eyes, he noticed Eddie’s color spots were neon green and deep purple, the colors were vibrant against the smooth black backdrop of scales. The green coloring curling around his neck and behind his ears, near impossible to miss.

 

Trager finished up his scan, his liquid silver pools turning to give Eddie a glare. A low hum reverberated in the doctor’s chest, causing Eddie to flinch back. The bright colors settling back to their black scales as he averted his gaze. Waylon was completely confused as to what transpired but decided by the look the doctor had, that it was best to leave it be. “You can take a break for a little while.” The nasally tone came, breaking the somewhat awkward silence that had settled around them. He fixed the glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I’ve got a little work ta do at the lab. Eddie, ya can show Waylon the equipment. Help him get familiar with it. Waylon, we’ll pick back up with our session later.” He started to turn away towards the doors but stopped to level his gaze on the raven haired male. “Eddie, I expect proper behavior from ya. Do not disappoint me.”

 

“Yes sir.” Eddie rasped out, his blue orbs fixed on the doctor as he straightened up. With that response, the male left the human and his counterpart alone. Eddie breathed a deep sigh of relief, his shoulders dipping as he relaxed. Bright eyes turned towards Waylon who was pushing himself up to his feet with water bottle on hand.

 

“So what now?” He inquired, eyes scanning around the room. It was only slightly smaller than Trager’s home but one entire side was formed into the obstacle wall. His eyes fell onto the weight sets near it as he wandered over to explore.

 

Eddie let him, curious to see what Waylon found interest in. “I can show you how our kind utilizes free time.” He explained, walking over to the wall where a series of belts and circular weights rested on racks. Waylon followed, finding what he assumed was a simple five pound weight. It was about the size of one back on earth but when he attempted to lift it, he was surprised to find it was closer to fifty pounds. His eyes widened in disbelief, looking at the other weights stacked up, each getting progressively bigger and he could only assume that weight doubled each time.

 

“I didn’t expect a free climbing wall to be apart of your workout routine.” His voice was still a little weary from his earlier run. He wasn’t exactly sure how he would go about climbing it. There were places where special levers and triggers were built in and areas of flat surface sticking out like uneven brickwork sliding out of place.

 

Eddie’s lips curled into a pleased smile. “Let me show you. This is actually my favorite part of the recreation room.” He picked up a massive belt that resembled the kind power lifters wear around their lower backs. He removed the white t-shirt from his torso, setting it neatly aside on a bench and stretched briefly to limber up. Pulling the belt on, he withdrew several straps from the sides which he used to attach four of the fifty pound weights to his hips. Strapping them in through the hole in the center and situating them equally around his hips. He attached one on each ankle soon after that so the weights dragged from his bare feet as he approached the wall. His claws were still bandaged which made Waylon nervous about what Eddie was intending to do.

 

He rubbed his hands together before grabbing the first of many little oddly shaped grips and started to scale it using just his arms. His feet dangled below him with the weights in place making Waylon fear this demonstration wouldn’t last long. The muscles in his back and shoulders flexed with every pull up along the wall until he reached the first of the switches. Reaching up to grasp at it, it shifted causing a portion of the wall to open up and build a gap around him, forcing Eddie to have to jump from one side to the next. The weights on his ankles jerking at his legs when he gripped the wall. One of his bandaged fingers slipped, making Waylon suck in a breath, holding it as Eddie reasserted his hold and climbed up to the next lever. This time the areas of wall surrounding pushed further out, forcing him to arch backwards to jump for the bottom corner. The ports in Eddie’s back opened as his tendrils extended, using them to grasp the surrounding grips, he let go of them with his hands and pushed his whole body weight up and out away from the wall to reach the next corner above. His body suspended in the air briefly before he pulled himself back up higher, continuing the process of nearly giving Waylon a heart attack each time a new lever was pulled or a switch was triggered.

 

When he finally reached the end of the course, he had made his way to the other side of the room where a final switch was pulled. A compartment opened up to drop a cable down to which Eddie swung himself over to and grappled, making his way down to land on the floor. He was only a little short of breath by time Waylon made his way over, still taking in what he had witnessed. Eddie removed the weights from his body and hung them back up in their rightful place, his eyes glancing back to Waylon as he practically strutted from place to place, his color spots glowing bright blue with delight and pride. “What do you think?” Eddie inquired, noticing the lack of conversation from the speechless human.

 

“Th-that was amazing.” Waylon gaped, scrambling to find words to express his awe. It was apparent now why Eddie’s species was the dominant one. Not only was their technology more advanced but they were built for survival. They were predators, to say the least. “Your species-” Waylon started as Eddie situated the equipment and pressed a switch that reverted the wall back to the way it was before they started. “I was curious about it. Why concern yourselves with humans if you’re such an advanced race?”

 

Eddie’s excitement seemed to die down. The bright blue coloring shifted back to their normal black tone, shading in with the rest of his body. “It’s complicated.” He stated softly, his blue orbs turned away from Waylon, fixing the weights in idle thought.

 

The blonde stepped closer to the larger male, his hand fiddling with the water bottle still. “Please. I promised to help your people with whatever they need. I just want to know why they want to know so much about us.” He sighed, growing quiet before he added. “A part of me is afraid that all this isn’t to help my people but to harm them.”

 

Eddie’s eyes widened, looking up at Waylon in disbelief. He shook his head quickly. “No.” The word blurted past his lips. “It isn’t like that. I promise. We mean you and your species no harm. It’s actually the other way around.” He walked over to one of the weight benches and sat down, his hands folding together as he searched for the right words to explain. Waylon took a seat on the floor in front of him, legs crossed in their usual indian style pose.

 

Silence stretched on but Waylon was patient with Eddie. Letting him start when he felt comfortable. “Our species used to be plentiful on our planet but it was also wild. We were no more than beasts at the bottom of the food chain.” He ran his fingers through his hair, combing a few stray strands back and recapturing them into their neat and tidy style as he continued. “Much like your species, we evolved over time. We learned and we grew by devouring our competition. It was a constant battle to the top until there was nothing left to compete with except each other.”

 

Waylon listened carefully. Seeing the similarities with their own kind. Thinking back to the cavemen with clubs fending off dinosaurs. When he tried to imagine Eddie’s species in their earlier years, he didn’t really see them as being the caveman type. It was closer to a sabertooth tiger stalking the wild lands for the unsuspecting baby mammoth. “Somehow over the years our population has dwindled exponentially. Acting on survival was no longer necessary. We turned our intentions towards building, expanding, and improving. Along the way, we forgot that our species does eventually die. We learned that the hard way when disease struck down many of our people. Those left behind couldn’t replenish our numbers.”

 

Eddie shifted uncomfortably in place. “Our species reproduces by laying eggs. The environment we thrive in isn’t the kind that is suitable for the survival of our unborn young. Each female can provide only one egg per nesting period.” He explained, the expression on his features was pained by the recollection. “One in every five eggs has a chance for survival. We are all considered lucky to be born. Even then we are not assured a long life. Adolescence is fragile and many young hatchlings die alone or from sickness. I was fortunate enough to be given to Dr. Trager. He helped me survive that frail state of life.”

 

He cleared his throat, directing his gaze towards Waylon. “Your species has grown rapidly since its existence on earth. It has evolved at a surprising rate for something so soft and fragile. We began studying your kind with the hopes of learning how to save our own species. In the process, we learned of your planet’s inevitable demise and that it was fast approaching.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he continued. “We hope that if we can save your kind, it will teach us how to save our own.”

 

“I see.” Waylon combed his fingers through his hair, drawing his shaggy blonde locks out of his face so he can meet Eddie’s gaze. Those swirling blue pools were filled with conflict. Like there was a storm behind the glassy surface, raging with worry over the survival of his people. Waylon could sympathize with that given humanities own troubles. It wasn’t even the expiration of his planet that was spurring it either. He feared humans would kill each other off before earth does. “I’m sorry about that. I can only hope what I have to show you will be some small form of assistance for your kind.”

 

“Thank you.” Eddie murmured, releasing a long slow deep breath. “I really do appreciate your help but please, do not feel you need to sacrifice your well being for our sake. I’d rather we find some other way then watch you crumble under these absurd tests.”

 

Waylon’s lips pulled into a small smile as he shook his head. “It’s no problem. Honest.” Waylon leaned back on his elbows and stretched his legs out, crossing them at the ankles as he stared up at the ceiling. “I’m glad to help and it’s not like I have anything better to do. I’m pretty much stranded here anyway without my ship.”

 

Silence settled briefly between them before the door to the dome opens with a hiss. Waylon tipped his head back and stared at the doctor as he walked into the building still fiddling around with his tablet. His silver pools rising to glance at the two, somewhat surprised at their current location. He was half expecting to walk in on them acting inappropriately in terms of their current situation. He was pleased to see that he wouldn’t have to dole out any punishments and correct explicit behavior. “Now that ya are all rested. Time fer the next test. Ya ready for a little swimming?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note:   
> When Eddie talks about a lot of hatchlings dying alone, he's referring to eggs being abandoned and considered 'dead' because they are late to hatch and so the females or parents of the eggs will leave them behind or discard them. Some of these eggs do in fact hatch later on and the babies often end up dying for real. Eddie was one of the rare few to be discovered soon after hatching and was given to Dr. Trager who took the young orphan in. They don't have programs in their species to stop these instances and fostering orphan hatchlings isn't a common occurrence. Just like with the twins, they are usually sent to the colonies to be handled there because nobody back at their home planet wants to deal with them. With the colonies being small enclosed communities, they expect the orphans to do well growing up there even if they don't have direct parenting or guardianship.


	10. Love Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More tests for Waylon and Eddie's tolerance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song is Love Song by Sarah Bareilles.

Waylon wasn’t at all prepared for the kind of swimming Trager had in mind. The man had taken him back to the red ringed medical facility and guided both him and Eddie to the back where one of the laboratory rooms was. There were a handful of massive tanks put in place that resembled an aquarium due to their size. Waylon was given a respirator to breathe with and was deposited into a tank full of fresh water. The test intended to see how well his body dealt with prolonged swimming and to test his buoyancy. “Just do what you normally do when in water.” Trager directed before turning his attention towards his staff, setting up a few last minute details. The violet eyed brunette was present going through some data for the doctor and standing off to the side in the meantime.

 

Waylon nodded, actually enjoying this portion of the testing stages. It was better than running a treadmill and far better than the electrocution he was subjected to. He doggy paddled around the tank and did a few swimming strokes. He enjoyed the addition of the respirator, allowing him to go underwater and stay under for as long as he wished.

 

He swam around like a fish and tapped on the glass, waving at Eddie on the other side. Eddie waved back, a little uncertain as to how the human could swim so well without fins or webbed appendages. When Waylon swam back up to the surface, he bobbed around before resting back on his back arms out as he floated on the surface. “Do all humans swim?” Eddie inquired, standing over the tank curiously, he put a hand in the water and swished it around. He had spent most of his life here in the colony. There was a vast source of water present but Eddie had never once swam before.

 

“Yeah.” Waylon beamed, taking the respirator out of his mouth so he could speak. “We’re all taught from a very young age. We flock to bodies of water when the weather gets warm. Where I come from it’s nothing but mountains and ranches but their are the occasional man made lakes and pools. The lakes up in the mountains are super cold though so nobody really swims there unless it is incredibly hot.” He put the respirator back in his mouth and tipped backwards. Doing a flip in the water and diving back down to the bottom of the tank. He placed his hand flat on the bottom and stuck his legs out and pretended to be lifting his body with one hand before pushing back up and swimming to the surface. He took a mouth full of water and slowly surfaced, squirting the water at Eddie who’s spots flared pink then changed over to neon green and mixed back and forth with blue. He smirked and gave a playful splash back at Waylon only for the human to submerge back under the water and avoid the retaliation.

 

“Alright. That’s enough you two.” Trager huffed, giving both of the male’s a disapproving look at their rambunctious activities. He was using the tablet to track Waylon’s movement, mapping out a diagram by recording him as he swam around inside the tank. It plotted out the points of his skeletal structure and how it moved in the weightlessness of water. “How’s the temperature in there?” Trager asked, watching the male. The temperature of the water inside the tank was about seventy degrees Fahrenheit. A comfortable temperature for most humans.

 

“It’s really nice. Especially after that run.” Waylon hummed, adjusting the respirator in hand to keep it from getting too wet. The weightlessness of the water was doing wonders for his body after putting it through the sudden bout of exercise. He was still tired though but his excitement at swimming around helped fill in the gaps.

 

“Do you think you can hold your breath under the water without the respirator?” Trager inquired.

 

Waylon nodded. “Yeah. Most humans can hold for about thirty seconds to a minute. Some who have gone through special training can hold up to six minutes consciously before they start to pass out. Just like with running, it differs from person to person.”

 

Trager nodded in understanding, giving a soft hum as he fixed the tablet to rest on a fixed stand. It was actively displaying Waylon’s heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. The sensors still attached to his body were displaying any fluctuations in brainwave activity and in the nervous system and muscular system. He approached the tank and gestured for Waylon to hand over the respirator. The blonde did as asked, running his fingers through his soaked locks to pull them back out of his face. “I want ya ta go under ‘n hold yer breath fer as long as ya possibly can.”

 

Waylon nodded, hovering for a moment before taking a big deep breath and diving down below. Eddie watched nervously, crouching down in front of Waylon as he met eye to eye. Waylon gave another reassuring wave, his blonde locks floating around his head like a golden halo. His pale blue orbs staring at him curiously. He appeared to be a bit bored and was playing around with the glass, tapping at it so Eddie would put his hand up to the surface. He pressed his palm against it and outlined the bandages still present on the male’s hand. They were still massive compared to Waylon’s but the other didn’t mind. After about a minute, Waylon drew his hand away and pushed up from the bottom to surge to the top, letting out a long deep breath before replenishing his supply. His hands wiping the water droplets out of his face and combing his hair back, his legs keeping him hovering in place.  “How’s that?”

 

The doctor was looking over the tablet with a frown, his silver pools narrowed on the screen before they turned towards the human. The look wasn’t one that he wanted to see aimed his direction, wondering if he had done something wrong. “Again.” Was all the doctor said. Waylon nodded and took a deep breath, diving back down to the bottom and resuming his position opposite of Eddie. Eddie’s color spots were tinged a soft pink hue beneath the black. Waylon lasted about the same amount of time, give or take a few seconds before rising back up to the surface and wiping the water out of his face and combing his fingers back. His lungs were starting to ache and his fatigue from earlier was beginning to catch up with him.

 

Yet he was met with the same disapproving look. Trager gestured for the violet eyed nurse who brought an item over to the tank. She gestured for Waylon’s hands to which he obliged only for them to be bound with a heavy magnetic weight that trapped them together. It weighed about twenty pounds, light as a feather to Eddie’s kind but incredibly heavy to Waylon especially in the water. “Take a deep breath.” The nurse told him, not yet letting go of his wrists. Her voice was sweet and soft but it couldn’t stop the panic that crossed Waylon’s features but he did as she direct. He no sooner filled his chest and closed his mouth and she let go of the restraints. Watching the blonde quickly sink to the bottom of the tank.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Eddie growled as he watched his human plummet to the bottom, his eyes wide and terrified as he tried to swim back up but it was to no avail. He beat on the sides of the tank, his features twisted and panicked. Eddie moved towards the water but was stopped by the doctor. A low hiss rising in his chest, the sound reminiscent of a cockroach. Eddie met it with the long low vibrations like a cicada’s. Unlike before, he wasn’t going to back down with his tail between his legs. Trager’s eyes flickered from Eddie to the tablet on the stand, watching as Waylon’s heart rate spiked with his panic. Adrenaline was coursing into his body as his survival instincts kicked in. Trying to figure out the situation and get back to the surface. Without the use of his hands, it was far too hard to get back up and the weight kept him pulled under. He fought the magnets, trying to pry them apart to get free.

 

Eddie took the chance with the doctor distracted and charged towards the tank only to be grabbed by the silver haired male. Long tendrils extended from his back and curled around Eddie’s wrists and shoulders, jerking him backwards. Eddie whirled around, twisting in the hold. His own tendrils grappling at the doctor, forcing them both into a stand still like two bucks with their horns tangled. Eddie’s color spots flared a deep vivid red in anger. His entire body was tense as he grabbed the doctor and forced them both to the floor. There were no spoke words between them. Just the vicious hissing and rattling sounds in their chests. A noise that flooded into the tank and made quick work of disorienting Waylon. His lungs burned for fresh oxygen and everything felt heavy. He had trouble trying to tell which way was up and which was down at this point. His body twisted in the water, hovering above the anchor point where the magnets held him to the floor. The bubbles left his chest as his eyes slipped shut.

 

Eddie’s spots flashed a neon pink, his attention switching from the doctor to Waylon when he sensed something was wrong. His eyes widened when he saw the human floating inside the tank. His nostrils flared as a deep roar rumbled in his chest, slamming the doctor back down into the floor, jarring him briefly before dark uniforms stormed the room and pried the male off of the doctor. Long batons with prongs on the ends were used to induce sharp electrical shocks. They were aimed at the center of Eddie’s back where a master nerve was, forcing his tendrils and the rest of his limbs to go limp, a low growl rumbling from his chest. His form slumping in their hold, eyes staring at the tank as the doctor approached. His eyes watching the tablet feed, seeing the faint heart beat still present before he decided the appropriate time to bring his specimen out.

 

Using his tendrils, he wrapped them around Waylon’s ankles and fished him back out of the tank, laying him down on the floor. He knelt down beside him, the nurse rushing to hand an oxygen mask over to the doctor as he placed it over Waylon’s face. One large hand cradling the blonde’s head. Eddie’s spots were checkered with pinks and turquoise. It took a minute of coaxing, but Waylon stirred back to consciousness. The mask was removed to expel some of the water in his body. He coughed furiously, his lungs ached and every breath hurt his chest. A groan left his lips, pale orbs meeting Trager’s liquid silver gaze. There was approval in those pools, the doctor seeming satisfied with the end result. “Atta boy. Ya can breath easy for a while.” The doctor praised.

 

Waylon scoffed and rolled his eyes at the words. Shaking his head before they turned to gaze past the man towards where the guards were standing around Eddie. His body slouched over and kneeling on the floor. His arms bound behind his back with shackles to keep him idle. Waylon’s brows furrowed in confusion but Eddie’s gaze glistened with relief. “Don’t mind him boys. Ya can head back to yer posts. Thank ya.” The doctor commanded. The guards gave a hiss in affirmation before turning in unison and leaving the room.

 

“Don’t fret little one. He’ll be fine.” Trager cooed, at first Waylon assumed the doctor was talking to him but when he looked up at the silver haired male, he found those eyes fixed on Eddie. Eddie’s head dipped down into a form of submission, the color patterns on his body fluctuating between blues and turquoise.

  


 

 

 

 

Not long after the incident in the lab, Trager had the pair escorted back to his home by the guards. Eddie carried Waylon cradled close to his chest, the smaller blonde had fallen asleep in one of the chairs in the lab after the exhausting ordeal with the most recent tests. The raven haired male remained close by his charge, constantly alert and looming over him protectively. Something the doctor had anticipated already though it had become complicated for him to get anywhere near his specimen until both calmed down. The pair was ordered to get some rest which led to them curling up in the bed at the doctor’s home and staying like that until day tipped over into night. The only lights in the room were the soft purple hues that resonated inside the enclosed space of the bed.

 

Waylon stirred from his spot finding Eddie’s arms still wrapped firmly around him. The male had position his body as if he were protecting a nest or treasure. It was an odd feeling but it wasn’t a bad one. It was comforting to know he could rely on the larger male to have his back during confusing or conflicting times. Especially after the stunt Trager pulled earlier in the day. It had both of them on edge.

 

Carefully, Waylon unfurled himself from the hold, sitting back on the bed in a kneeling position, this was his first time seeing Eddie asleep. It was strange but the relaxed expression on his face was endearing. With his scaly form covered only by a pair of shorts, his shirt was currently draped over Waylon’s tiny frame. Swallowing him up in the expanse of white fabric. He used it to provide some modesty and warmth to the astronaut after the incident.

 

The blonde curled his fingers through his hair, pulling them out of his face before leaning forward and giving a soft kiss to Eddie’s forehead. It was light enough so as to not wake the male. A smile tugging at the corners of his lips with delight like he was getting away with something mischievous. He turned to crawl away from the bed, moving carefully and quietly. His bare feet touching the floor as he padded over to the table where Eddie left the box of his things from earlier. The spare parts resting inside with the holoprojector beside it. He was used to long restless nights back home on earth, often tinkering around with equipment rather it be on his computer or just idle projects set around the house. One of his favorites was repurposing old electronics and building new things with them. Like robots for example. That memory was a nice throw back to his days in his high school robotics club and his nerdier exploits.

 

It took him a few minutes to recall how to activate the touch screen surface on the table top. Even longer to figure out the blueprints Eddie was working with the last couple days. Everything was in the same foreign squiggly language to which Waylon couldn’t make heads or tails of. After a long look at the holoprojector and comparing parts of it to the pieces shown on the diagram, he had a pretty good idea what was damaged and needs replacing. Spending the rest of the night working away at the piece.

 

By first morning light, Eddie began to stir in the bed, stretching his body out across the soft gel mattress with arms reached across in search of something. His blue orbs opened to find the bed empty. His body jolting upright before the blue hues settled on the pale form of the astronaut sitting at the table, still wearing his over sized white t-shirt and having the chair from earlier drawn up. He was kneeling on it, sitting upright and practically over the table as he worked away at the device. The raven haired male gave a sleepy yawn and scratched at the side of his head. His raven locks a disheveled mess as he got up and meandered over to spy what the human was up to. “Good morning darling. When did you get up?”

 

“Morning.” Waylon greeted as he fixed the positioning of a wire. With his tiny fingers he was able to do most of the work without the need of a tool. He gave Eddie a brief glance and chuckled at the sleepy expression on the other’s face. Eddie leaned over the chair so his chest was against Waylon’s back, peering over at the diagram on the screen. “I’ve been up all night. I needed something to do. I hope you don’t mind.” He closed the small paneling on the side of Eddie’s holoprojector. A little green light was displayed. A positive sign so far. “I think...I finally got it. Here, try it on.”

 

The male was incredulous that the human could fix the piece but he decided to humor his attempts given he worked so hard on it. “Was something wrong? Your kind aren’t nocturnal creatures as far as I knew.” He clipped the device in place around his neck and pressed the button that triggered the illusion. It modified the light particles around his body and made those who were around him see what he wanted them to see. At the moment, it was his human appearance. His eyes widened when he looked down at himself and grinned. Raising his hands up in front of his face and spying white flesh and normal human fingers instead of claws. “How did you figure it out?”

 

“Humans aren’t meant to be nocturnal but we have adapted to that lifestyle. We harnessed electricity so we can live at night as well as we do during the day.” He yawned and stretched out, slouching back into the chair and letting his legs dangle over the edge. “I spend most of my time tinkering with odd things at night. I get restless. It’s perfectly natural for me.  I couldn’t figure out the inscription on the blueprints but the pictures were pretty much self-explanatory.”

 

Eddie grinned and leaned down to ruffle up Waylon’s hair fondly. Pressing a kiss to his forehead in gratitude. “I don’t know what to say. Darling, this is fantastic. I was afraid it was a goner for sure.” With the illusion present, Waylon was unable to see Eddie’s color spots but he could only assume they were fluctuating with happy hues.

 

“Don’t mention it. I’m happy to help any bit I can. You’ve done so much for me already.” He stretched out again, flexing his feet and toes, gaining a pleasant popping sound in the process. As he relaxed back his belly gave a familiar rumble that caught Eddie’s attention.

 

“It would seem there is more I can do for you.” He purred. “Don’t worry. I’ll make us some breakfast.”


	11. Stand By Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trager runs into a spot of trouble and Eddie takes Waylon on a tour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song is Stand By Me by Ben E. King (But the version i listen to is a cover by Imagine Dragons. I enjoy both versions.)

“Doctor Trager, what would you have us do?” The young brunette female stood by the silver haired doctor as they gazed upon the sight. It was discovered during patrol early that morning right before first light fell upon the colony. Black bloody smears dragged up and over the blue ringed dome from the Whiffler enclosure. One of the beasts was found mauled to death inside the enclosure and another had been dragged up and out of the pen and taken to the edge of the woods. Both had their torsos ripped open and large portions eaten from it. The one in the pen had most of its throat and chest missing as well as an entire leg. The one in the woods was strung up in the branches of one of the trees using its intestines. A calling card from the twins intended for the elder doctor.

 

He sighed, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose, shaking his head as he looked at the damage. They still had plenty of livestock in other enclosures located around the colony. There were four different sections of agriculture laid out to feed the different clusters around the facility. The entire colony extended about twelve miles all around. All of it existed beneath the massive dome that protected it from the outside environment. It was the smallest of the five colonies by far and extremely young compared to the rest. They were built to be a metropolis, a settlement port for their ships to move back and forth, extending their territory and their reach around the galaxy. Doctor Trager was awarded his position over this colony and overseeing it’s formation by the head of council themself. Many disagreed with this declaration. Their contempt escalated when Trager chose that the colony would remain an agricultural hub as many saw that as primitive and him turning his nose up at their past technological accomplishments.

 

Those same people were constantly hunting for any excuse to remove him from position and take over the colony. This would be a good start should word get out and panic spread. Not only for his inability to handle his own people but the fact that his own orphans turned rabid and were tearing the community apart and killing with wanton abandon. “Get it cleaned up. Quickly. Before anybody else sees it.” He commanded, his tone cold and sharp. Silver pools turned icy as the fear bristled beneath his skin. He turned on a set of guards, their dark uniforms a stark contrast against the bright white backdrop of the domes behind them. “Assemble a team and hunt them down. I don’t care if ya have to kill them. They’re past savin now.” He stepped closer to the lead guard, getting eye to eye with him as he growled coldly. “Do not hesitate or they’ll kill ya first. Do you understand?” He was very careful with every word to ensure they knew what he was saying and the severity of this situation. He received a shrill hum in unison not just from the guard before him but the others around him. With that, they were dismissed from his sharp gaze and quickly scattered to prepare and execute their mission.

  


 

 

Waylon was surprised when one of Trager’s staff stopped by the doctor’s home with a box of things for him, the member being the violet eyed brunette he had seen around the facility several times before. She greeted him with a warm smile though it didn’t stop his nerves when he was reminded of the heavy magnets she put on him the day before in the tank. Eddie was the one to take the box, seeming to sense his human’s unease around the nurse. She took note as well and politely departed while the larger raven haired male took the things to the table. There were several different garments inside that were made in the style of their species, each was very plain in color.

 

The ones Eddie picked out were a pair of tan trousers that reminded Waylon of capris. They stopped about mid calf and had drawstrings in the hem to be tied accordingly or loosened. There was a white short sleeved robe like garment that Eddie helped him pull on and tie around his waist, overlapping the material over his chest. It was followed by a large deep blue sash that was tied around his waist and looped over the side and pulled taut sort of how a necktie is done, the crossing of fabric resting on his hip and hanging down in a rather stylish way. The top half made him think of traditional japanese samurai robes but the waist down made him think of pirates. All around it worked well with his messy blonde locks.

 

He was surprised by how soft the material was, sort of anticipating a very coarse wool kind of texture but it was soft like cotton or silk. He noticed the blue of the sash matched the same color as Eddie’s eyes. Something he wasn’t even sure the larger male was aware of. Once he was dressed, he gave it a good long look. “This is surprisingly comfortable. Like, I wouldn’t mind wearing this all the time back on earth.” He hummed.

 

“It’s the traditional style for my species to wear made with the threads of the geyla leaves.” Waylon gave Eddie a strange look at the mention of the plant. The larger male noticed after a brief moment of confusion before elaborating. “It’s a very large leafy plant that-” Eddie paused and shook his head. “You know what, I’ll just show you. You have yet to explore the colony and see what it is we’re known for.”

 

Waylon found there was no need for shoes since none were supplied in the box. Instead they followed the same smooth gravel path that led them from place to place, connecting the entire colony through elegant patterns of landscaping. Two guards in black uniform had stood on either side of the door, prepared to escort them wherever they please. Eddie gave a brief direction of clicks and the guards shifted from guiding to simply following the pair, flanking them on both sides form the rear. Eddie led the group, heading down along the path. There was an opening like a large park square. A fountain coiled up from the ground like a blind serpent, the water rising up out of it’s sharp tooth maw and cascading like a waterfall down it’s back, weaving in and out of the hundreds of quills that rose up out of it. “That is a Yanno.” Eddie explained.

 

“What’s a Yanno?” Waylon’s pale blue orbs flickered from the serpent up towards Eddie.

 

The male’s lips curled into a smirk as he gestured towards the statue and repeated. “Yanno.”

 

It took a minute for the word to click in Waylon’s mind, drawing a frown on his features as he narrowed his eyes at Eddie. “Are you messing with me?”

 

Eddie chuckled at the suspicious gaze and grinned. His hand patting Waylon on the head partially taming the shaggy blonde catastrophe that was the human’s bed head. “That’s how it got its name.” He smiled, giving the human his most sincere look. Waylon shook his head and rolled his eyes as fingers combed through the mess to try and get it back into some semblance of control. He only succeeded in keeping it out of his face. The rest was a disaster of wayward curls and wisps.

 

They continued on past the square, passing by the handful of benches that rested around the fountain for idle enjoyment and rest in the serene atmosphere with the light trickling of water and the soft fragrance of sweet flowers on the air. Their were patches of bright golds and deep red petals checkered throughout the medians of greenery. Some had matrixing sunburst shades of oranges and yellows, some were deep violets and burgundies where the natural colors of dark purple and blue were overtaken by the components in the red soil they were potted in.

 

The path shifted towards a cropping of large shrubbery, these were mostly green, breaking up the red and gold color scheme. It was apparent they were grown in different soil, much darker and more akin to earth’s. On the other side was where one of the four agricultural sections were. The coloring of the plant life varied depending on the soil they were grown and harvested in. Some were deep greens with natural tones seen back on earth such as a series of tomato plants and some forms of squash. Each much larger than what would be seen on earth as well. Then there was corn with fluctuated between it’s tall golden stalks and deep red ones. Waylon couldn’t really tell which was the natural color given corn came in many shades back home when it reached harvest time. The shorter grains and root vegetables had the red and orange colors which Waylon recognized immediately. The sections were split up using square plots. The gravel paths cut in between and led further back to where it split between a series of fruit orchards and vine based plants requiring support beams and branches to grow up alone. Or the other route which led to the pastures where other livestock was kept.

 

Eddie took the route towards the pastures, intending to teach the human something important that could have been disastrous when he first ran into the enclosures. The pens were broken up into several areas. There were Whifflers which Waylon recognized right away with their large camel humps and black and blue zebra stripes. Come to find out there were two different color tones. “Blue between the stripes means it’s a buck. Purple between the stripes means it’s a doe. If there are no stripes it’s because it’s still a fawn.” Eddie gestured towards a handful of smaller Whifflers that were mostly black with small white stripes. No bright coloring separating the two.

 

“Be careful not to upset them. They will attack and eat you if you trespass on their territory.” Eddie leaned over Waylon’s shoulder and patted him on the back as he admired the beasts from the safety of the fence.

 

“What happens of they get out? What do I do?” The blonde looked a bit uneasy after having dove into the pen with a bunch of these beasts. He watched as one gave a low groan like a cow. It bared its teeth showing the rows of sharper incisors beside a series of grazing tusks. It was apparent they were omnivores.

 

Eddie gestured for the guards to keep an eye on his human while he vaulted over the fence and into the enclosure. The creature’s started making odd whooping sounds like birds. Nearby a large bull slowly approached, nostrils flaring angrily. Waylon was nervous, trying to figure out what Eddie was going to do. The guards watched quietly, standing on either side of the human in a very relaxed way.

 

The larger raven haired male waited until the bull made short advances, lunging towards Eddie before skirting back, dragging its hooves in the dirt and kicking up small dust clouds. It took the human a moment to pick up on the sound with everything going on. The low hum that started in Eddie’s chest. The vibrations grew louder and deeper the longer it went. His shoulders drawn back and chest enlarged as he displayed an aggressive demeanor. Blue hues turned cold on the beast. The bull backed down only briefly before making a rush forward. Eddie stood his ground, no matter how close it got to him, nearly head butting him in the chest. The sound grew incredibly loud, buzzing in Waylon’s ears before the beast finally backed off and the rest turned and scampered away to the far corners of the pasture. Watching Eddie warily from a distance. The sound slowly faded out before the male gave Waylon a large grin of triumph.

 

He trotted back over towards the fence and clambered back over the cables until he dropped back down beside his human. The two guards stepped back away from Waylon as Eddie snaked his arm around his shoulders and pulled him flush against his side. “That’s how my species fends off enemies. You have probably already seen it happen a few times before.”

 

Waylon nodded, glancing up at the larger male before giving his broad chest a curious look. “What makes that sound?” He inquired, placing a hand over Eddie’s rib cage and inspecting it. He hadn’t seen any sort of oddities or valves in his body before.

 

“I’ll have to show you a diagram of what we look like inside when we get back. We have special valves inside our chests that encircle our hearts. When we breath in air, we control the flow through these valves. When we communicate or try to scare off a threat, we can redirect the flow and it changes the pitch and vibrations inside.”

 

“It’s like a cockroach.” Waylon hummed thoughtfully, trying to imagine anything else that he could compare it to. Eddie looked confused at first about the mentioned creature but waved the thought off.

 

“Anyway darling, most animals here in the colony are best to be kept at a distance.” He explained, gesturing towards the other enclosures. There were large lumbering dog like creatures with white scales that covered their bodies. On their backs along their spine, long black feathers rose up like a horse’s mane from the back of the skull down to the tip of their long tail. They lounged about in the dirt like pigs, fluffing up the long black feathers. They had a set of long teeth that made Waylon think of dragons and a tongue to match. He watched as one clawed at the earth with long black talons, digging a bit before rolling around in the newly rooted spot. “These are Kurii. We collect and eat their eggs.” Eddie explained. One of the Kurii tilted it’s head to the side, giving Waylon a look with it’s beady black eyes. When it turned to give him a more direct glance, its feathers rose up to stand on end all the way down their back like a mohawk. The beast’s tail thumped in the dirt with excitement as it scampered over to the fence.

 

Eddie reached a hand out to the beast and scratched behind it’s long pointed ears. They folded back, forked tongue lolling out of it’s maw as the thumping increased and two more of the beasts trotted over to see what was happening. Waylon watched curiously as the creatures made deep thumping sounds in their throats out of delight. “Here darling.” Eddie purred, taking Waylon’s hand and holding it through the fence. The beasts paused to sniff the new addition before one dipped its head down to receive attention at its fingertips. The human obliged, smiling at the display. The beast was about as big as Waylon from nose to tail but the dog like behavior was endearing and dampened any fears he may have had. “They make good companions but are generally pack animals. Very social creatures.”

 

Waylon nodded in understanding giving a soft hum as he scratched behind the beast’s ears and pet a hand over the feathers, feeling the softness of them. Though they were a little dusty but it was nice. The scales were smooth as well, much like Eddie’s. “Come on darling. We can visit the Kurii again later. I want to show you another of our livestock.” Eddie urged with excitement.

 

They went around the Kurii enclosure to where there was another pen in the back though it appeared empty. As the group approached, all Waylon could see was a large pond and the fencing this time was a bunch of small mesh wiring with tiny holes in it. It reminded him of chicken wire only more heavy duty. Eddie placed a hand at Waylon’s lower back and hummed softly. The sound rising in his throat. At first nothing appeared to be happening until small ripples began forming on the water’s surface. There were dozens all over the place, intermingling and colliding. Then a swell formed on the edges of the water. Bubbles and splashing stirring it up, making Waylon think of a scene from Jaws or a swamp monster movie. What he wasn’t expecting was the long weasel like bodies to come racing out of the water and darting all over the place. Their were dozens of the slick little forms with long brightly colored fins on the backs and long silver bodies. They looked like ferrets to him but where the tail fuzzy tail should have been was instead a long fishtail flapping around. They were small like weasels with sleek slender forms and big pink noses. Little beady eyes staring up at the beings on the other side of the fence. Little crescent shapes ears twitching as they looked around. Small chirps sounding in their chests like a swarm of hungry chickens.

 

“These little ones are Wawa.” Eddie introduced. “Careful, they bite.”

 

Waylon crouched down to give them a better look and smiled at the myriad of chirps from the rather adorable little creatures. He thought the Kurii were cute, the Wawa were downright adorable as far as alien creatures go. “Don’t tell me you guys eat them.” Waylon stated, giving Eddie a look. The larger male rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. Waylon whined. “Eddie! How can you eat these little guys?”

 

“Well, they multiply like crazy. Just look at them.” He gestured. “A few days ago there were half this many in the pen.”

 

“Eddie!” Waylon whined, giving the little creatures a mournful look. He wanted to hold one. Watching their little paws press against the fence and their tiny little noses twitch. It was like a little ferret or a hamster.

 

“It’s food Waylon. A very sustainable source of nourishment.” He stated bluntly. “Do your people choose hunger over killing something that appear to be cute?”

 

“Actually, yeah. We have a lot of people who don’t eat anything made of or by animals because they think they’re too cute to eat. There are entire lifestyles and cultures surrounding it. Some are even considered sacred.” The human sat back on the ground, leaning back on his palms as he stared up at the alien.

 

Eddie gave him a long suspicious look. “You’re joking, right?”

 

Waylon shook his head. “Uh uh. I’m completely serious.”

 

“How has your species continued to survive?” Eddie sighed, running his hands over his face with disbelief.

 

Waylon snorted in amusement, his toes curling into the soft blades of grass that surrounding the outside of the pen. “Beats me. People just do. We figure things out eventually. If we want it bad enough, we learn to improvise and overcome.”


	12. Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song for this title is Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Set It Off.

After the tour around the pastures and holding pens, Eddie and Waylon backtracked to the orchard where the Geyla plant was located. It was placed between a series of trees with golden apples and bright yellow pears. The plant itself was massive. Easily reaching over six feet tall. Some were taller than Waylon and resembled giant succulents. They came in a variety of colors, the plants themselves unhindered by the change of color caused by the soil they grew in. The leaves were protected by a spiny exterior to keep predators away, their blooms rising up and outwards towards the bright manipulated sunshine from above.  “When you peel back the spines-” Eddie began, taking a leaf into his hand and working it free from the base of the plant.

 

It was ridiculously big and took a little bit of effort on Eddie’s part. Both to free it from the base but also to not break it completely apart. He released a hum of approval once it was free and held it down for Waylon to see. He used his healing claws to break the seam where the delicate veins of the plant ran along carrying nutrients. The spiny exterior was pulled away to expose a soft and almost fuzzy material inside. The fibers of the leave were made up of colored threads that matched the color of the exterior. The one in hand at the moment was a sea green. “-we harvest the threads and work them into material. They are soaked before hand in a solution to clean away any contaminants and they are as smooth as your earthly silks.” Waylon ran his fingers over the threads and realized a clear sticky residue had collected on his fingertips. Eddie chuckled. “Taste it.” He urged.

 

“What?” Waylon stared up at the alien as if expecting him to be joking.

 

Eddie shook his head and nudged Waylon’s fingers to his lips. “Go on. Taste it.”

 

The human glanced back down to his fingers and grimaced. Praying it wasn’t toxic to him. He touched his fingertips to the tip of his tongue, his eyes widening. Startled he gave it another more complete taste. “What the hell?” He frowned at Eddie. “It tastes like cotton candy.”

 

Eddie nodded quickly, grinning widely at the human. “It makes its own form of sugar and we collect it from the threads before they’re processed.” He explained. “The flavor varies from plant to plant but they’re all generally the same once processed.”

 

“Can you..um, can you help me make something with these?” Waylon inquired, looking from the plant up towards the larger male’s bright blue orbs.

 

Eddie gave the human an odd look as he hummed in thought. “I can. It would be faster to use some threads that are already processed. We can exchange them on the way home if you like.” Waylon gave a nod of affirmation. The raven haired male smiled, snaking an arm around the Waylon’s lower back with a fond hold of his human against his side and taking the geyla leaf in his other hand. Turning back towards the path leading to Trager’s dome, the guards shifted their attention and resumed their places trailing behind them.

  


 

 

 

“Sir, the team has returned.” The violet eyed nurse approached the doctor, her soft features neutral to any feeling she may have inside, even her eyes were empty and dull. The silver haired male was quiet for a long time, making the nurse second guess if he had heard her announcement. His lithe frame leaning over the desk in the medical facility, fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose and glasses resting on the surface before him beside his tablet. She parted her lips to speak again but his actions silenced her. His shoulders drew back as he adjusted his glasses, returning them to their rightful place with a weary sigh. Leaving the tablet behind on the desk, he turned and trailed out the door.

 

His footsteps pushing him towards the entrance only to be greeted with a dreadful sight. Standing in the lobby was what remained of the dozen guards sent into the woods after the twins. Three bodies laid on the ground, caressed in white fabric stained a variety of colors from their injuries. On one, the fabric dipped down to the ground where a leg should have supported it. Another was soaked in the center, weighing it down into a gruesome dip inside the chest cavity. He was unable to see their faces through the mutilation and forewent even attempting to move the cloth. Those left standing were in no better shape. One of the guards was sitting on the floor, cradling the stump of his bicep, stemming the flow of blood for the time being. Three others were barely standing, hunched over with faces twisted. Shoulders trembling with every breath and muscle rippling beneath their scales. The black of their uniforms soaked in the colorful tones and dripping into puddles at their feet. The space where tendrils should be located were claws apart, the long appendages ripped from their anchor points. Low hissing and gurgling sounds echoed in the room, a distasteful chorus that made the doctor’s color spots flare white and turquoise.

 

Those still standing had minor injuries. Claw marks marking their chests or backs like someone had used them for a scratching post. One had lost an eye to one of the twins, the talons gouged it out but he stood firm at the end of the line. He extended a hand out towards the doctor, a sack held by his fingertips. The silver haired male approached hesitantly, taking the fabric in hand and parting the drawstrings to find two pairs of empty glazed over eyes staring back at him. The inside of the bag was pooled with blood, long tongues lolling out of the parted maws, teeth bared in a final snarl of rebellion. Quietly, he closed the bag and handed it over to the violet eyed nurse. “Dispose of the dead ta the Kurii and Whifflers.” The nurse gave a low hum as she collected the sack. The security present in the medical dome gathered to help carry the three dead guards away to be processed and dispersed among the livestock as nourishment.

 

“Prepare the capsules n’ the lab. Get these boys fixed up.” His voice was firm, directing the rest of the medical staff to begin their care of the guards remaining. The most severely injured were taken to the capsules for treatment. The rest were tended to by hand, their wounds cleaned and bandaged accordingly. A couple of them chose to return to their duties once taken care of. The rest remained in the facility to recuperate.

  


 

 

 

The bright sunshine of day melted away to the endless kaleidoscope of stars that swirled across the expanse of the dome above. The gravel paths resumed their soft silvery glow as the doctor walked the paths alone. Guided only by the serenity of night, he turned his silvery pools to the sky admiring the beauty. A sight that was foreign to him upon leaving their planet Kurask. Never had he taken the time to stop and admire what surrounded him. To fully appreciate the splendor and bounty of what was offered by the ground in which he stood. Like his species, he pressed on with forward thinking and advancements in their race. Constantly aiming for better, bigger and stronger. His fingers trailed over the small red flowers, the pads of his thumb rubbing over their closed petals as he considered their place in the world. Anything that was weak and fragile was to be crushed. Yet, flowers such as these, with their vibrant beauty were no longer a presence on Kurask. The soft trickle of the fountain nearby, the lapping of water over stonework was another sound he hadn’t heard since he was a hatchling. Not until they settled in this colony.

 

His fingers moved up to the holoprojector clasped around his throat, his thumb pressing the small button, letting the device fall into his hand. The illusion of a man faded, leaving the withering and wizened old features of an aging Arashian. His dark scales flecked with a dirty crusted grey around the edges, the dark color of a healthy young Arashi’ was bleeding away. His color spots shifted to a soft turquoise as a low hum vibrated in his chest accented with small clicks. His shoulders drooped as his silver pools closed, hands hanging at his sides, long talons cracked at the tips and faded to a clear enamel along the edges. He has seen their species rise and in doing so, he has also watched them cement their own demise without voicing his concerns. Only when the inevitable was on the horizon did he find the courage to speak up.

 

His gaze rose to savor the garden in which he had created. His own piece of what humans refer to as Eden. Though he feared that like the story, that they have already partaken of a forbidden fruit. All he had left now was to hope they were not too far gone. That the young Arashian’s back home still have time to turn back the clock and fix what damage has been done.

  


 

 

 

Waylon found himself trapped in the massive arms of the raven haired male once more. The heavy appendages caging him against the broad chest of his guardian. He couldn’t really complain given the warmth that radiated from the giant being but his restless demeanor after nightfall was plaguing him with an itch in his fingers and a tick in the back of his mind. Wiggling around, he managed to squirm his way free and crawl off the bed, pausing long enough to glance over his shoulder, seeing Eddie curl up in the residual warmth from his smaller form. A small smile curling his lips at the relaxed expression on the dark features. The holoprojector removed for the evening after a good portion of persuasion from Waylon. Eddie was hesitant to out of fear that his natural appearance was off putting towards the smaller male but the human reassured him that he had nothing to fear from it.

 

In fact, Waylon was fascinated with their species. Sharp teeth and terrifying claws aside, he found them to be mesmerizing and misunderstood. It was pitiful to say the least, but he was being earnest in that thought. Like humans, they were still learning how to live and survive. They definitely had the upper hand in this little game of life, complete with their built in swiss army knife anatomy. Humans had it rougher in some aspects but as far as he could tell, they were both struggling and had their own set backs. His thoughts reflected back on what Eddie had told him about their troubles. He was curious to know if humanity did hold the answers to their problems. He doubted it but he could hope.

 

He padded barefoot over to the table where their pet project rested. White fabric like the garments he was currently wearing was draped over the surface of the table. The material was soft and silky to touch but, as he found out earlier while Eddie was weaving it together, it was incredibly strong and fire resistant. In fact, a portion of the treatment process involved subjecting it to extreme heat to bond the fibers together. The second portion of the project involved the anatomical diagram of Eddie’s species. He broke the diagram into two pieces and focused solely on the torso and chest cavity. Just like Eddie explained before, there were a series of valves that appeared to be made of soft calcium and cartilage that can be manipulated by the same muscles around their hearts. These valves redirect airflow when constricted and it creates a vibration in their form of speech. Using a handful of parts and his damaged spacesuit from Eddie’s residence, he had started building his own version of what was inside Eddie’s chest. Only on a smaller level that could easily be concealed in clothing.

 

Waylon failed to hear the entry of the silver haired doctor. His footsteps were silent as he crossed the room, leaning over the human’s shoulder to inspect what he was up to in the dark. Working by the light of the screen display, he made a soft hum of amusement. Silver pools drifting over the devices and spare parts. At the sound, Waylon bristled with the too close presence, goosebumps standing on the ends of his arms. He paused and turned his head, a choked off sound akin to a squawk left his throat as he jolted in his seat, dropping the piece he was holding. The doctor’s hand shot out and caught it before handing it back to the human, his fingers resting against his lips is a soft hush. Silver pools turning towards the bed to ensure Eddie remained sound asleep. “I’m sorry.” Waylon hissed out, taking the item back and setting it aside. His hand resting on his chest, feeling his heart racing from the fright.

 

The doctor appeared amused by this, adjusting his glasses as he slid into the seat beside his specimen. “Whatcha workin on?” He rested his chin in his palm, eyes glazing over the touch screen as his finger lazily swiped through the pages still up. One of which explained how to weave and treat the threads. His eyes shifted over to the fabric with a curious hum. “Ya two have been busy I see.”

 

Waylon relaxed back into the chair, breathing out a deep sigh, shoulders slouching. His tools forgotten in a pile as he rubbed his pale blue orbs to resume focus. His voice was quiet and a little husky. “I wanted to see if I can replicate the sound your species makes.”

 

“Now why would ya want ta do that?” The doctor fixed his gaze on the human, eyes narrowed and shining silver, reflecting the faint glow of the screen. It gave Waylon an eerie feel like he was being watched by a large feline and he was a mouse in its den.

 

Waylon’s pale hues flickered towards the bed, the doctor’s gaze following before a knowing sound resonated in his throat. The human tilted his head down to look over the small parts and wires that littered his work space. A soft laugh rumbled out of the doctor’s chest, drawing those glossy pearls back up to the elder man, brows furrowed. “He wants ta be more human and ya are tryin to be more like an Arashian.” The doctor elaborated.

 

“Arashian?” This was the first time Waylon was hearing that word.

 

He straightened up in his seat as the doctor nodded with another hum. His posture was still lackadaisical. “It’s what we are Waylon. Arashi’, the great and powerful.” His tone was mocking and tinged with disgust. Lips twisted in a grimace as the words slid off his tongue. It sounded so elegant and yet tasted so foul.

 

“Is there something wrong sir?” The astronaut inquired, his tone was soft and hesitant. He felt like he was prodding at a sore topic.

 

The doctor sat up and shook his head at the inquiry. A smirk pulling at his lips at the wariness of his specimen. “It’s nothing ta concern yerself with. In fact, it’d probably be better if ya both didn’t concern yerselves with it.” he shook his head and sighed, shifting out of the chair and patting Waylon on the head. “Stick with bein human. The both of ya. It’s better that way.” The male’s fingers flitted across the screen, turning everything off for the night. “Com’on. Back ta bed with ya.” The blonde didn’t think to find the words to protest. Giving in to the doctor’s commands with quiet obedience as the hand pressed against his back, guiding him back to the bed. He crawled up onto the gel surface and pressed closer to the larger male for warmth. Quickly wrapped back up into the large strong arms, caging him in like a fly in a venus.

 

“Sleep well Waylon.” The doctor purred, adjusting the lighting on the enclosed portion of the bed, reducing them to total darkness. Leaving Waylon with his thoughts and the soft rhythm of Eddie’s breath and hearts beating inside his chest. A simple enough lullaby to push him over the edge and into the abyss of dreams.


	13. Wanderer's Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylon gets a little sick from eating too many foods he's not accustomed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song is Wanderer's Lullaby by Adriana Figueroa

The sound of painful deep retching woke the two arashian’s inside the dome. Their eyes scanning the room in search of the source, standing alert and on edge, both men were on their feet in no time. It took a few seconds before a low groan pinpointed the source, their small human companion was tucked away inside a side compartment that opened up sort of like a closet but within was the basic hygiene needs and waste disposal systems. One of which the small blonde was grasping to as if his life depended on it. His pale complexion was as white as the sweat soaked garments sticking to his body. Blonde locks plastered to his forehead and pale blue eyes were dull and wispy with exhaustion. His shoulders trembling as he sniffled, taking a shuddering breath as he tried to compose himself but his stomach refused to settle.

 

“Waylon?” Eddie’s words reached the blonde, dripping through the air as dark blue hues rested on the pitiful form. Brows crinkled together as he swiftly moved to crouch beside the male. “What is wrong? Are you ill?”

 

The astronaut sniffled again, shrugging his shoulders with a sad nudge. The silver haired doctor moved to retrieve his tablet from the kitchen table and noticed an alert at the top corner notifying him of his specimen’s increased white blood cell count and heart rate. His body temperature was higher as well. “It appears his body is defending itself from something. A virus maybe?”

 

“Is he going to be okay?” Eddie placed a hand on Waylon’s back and gently rubbed over his shoulders in soft soothing circles. His gaze flitted from the doctor back to his human, features twisted in distress. His color spots flashing with turquoise and yellow patterns, a vibrant upset against the inky black backdrop of scales.

 

“Eddie..” Waylon rasped, his throat was swollen from his upset making it hard to swallow and speak. His tone was soft and broken as he sat up, leaning back into the hand supporting him. The raven haired male turned his full attention on his human, arm snaking around his torso to hold him closer and help his slouched figure. “I’ll be fine.” His lips curled into a feeble smile, the lower one trembling as he held himself together. “I just need to sweat it out.”

 

Eddie took a moment to consider this and nodded, picking the small human up into his arms, being extra cautious with his frail appearance. Holding him like a china doll that would shatter if he was jostled even the slightest. Waylon shivered, curling up in the larger male’s arms and resting his head against his shoulder. His pale orbs closed as his chest rose and fell in shallow gasps. A slight wheeze slipping past his raw throat. He was carried back over to the bed and laid down gently, his head shifted to rest against the pillows. Waylon curled up into a tighter ball and shivered. Eddie’s fingers brushing over the blonde locks, drawing the sweat soaked strands out of his face with tender fingers. “Can you watch him for a little bit?” Eddie’s words were soft, turning his gaze to the doctor.

 

“Where d’ya think yer goin?” The doctor scowled at the larger male, his silver pools leveled on his charge.

 

The turquoise coloring rose above the yellow flecks as he shied away from his elder, head tilted in a small sign of submission towards the parental tone. He shifted in place before finding his voice. “I- I have more blankets back at my residence. If he wishes to ‘sweat it out’ as he put it, they will help keep him warm.” Eddie’s fingers moved to rub at the back of his neck, dark blue orbs flitting from the floor, turning up to meet the sharper hues before resuming their stare at the ground.

 

The doctor maintained his firm position before a low rumble of approval sounded, stepping aside he gestured for the youth to continue with his task. Eddie straightened up and flashed a mix of blue with the turquoise tones before scampering out of the dome.

 

 

 

The doctor sat beside the human, resting in the chair pulled up to the edge of the bed. Head resting in his palm and elbow propped up. His legs crossed at the knee as he waited for Eddie to return. He attempted to feed the smaller male but everything that went down came back up and it got to the point where just the smell of something cooking set him off. He was barely able to keep water down, clinging to the little bottle with the specialized valves in the nozzle as if it were his life line. He kept a steady watch both on the human balled up tightly in the bed and the tablet in his lap. The little silver bangle on Waylon’s wrist constantly transmitting data to the device for him to collect and observe.

 

He was intrigued by the physical responses that appeared involving the human. The way he shivered despite his body temperature being considerably higher than normal. Arashian’s didn’t shiver so it was a new experience. When the temperature drops in their environment they become sluggish and seek out warmth or revert to a sleep like state until they can warm back up.

 

He was beginning to wonder where Eddie had gone when the soft click of the door sounded at his back. He didn’t even need to look to recognize the presence of his charge, able to tell by his scent alone that he had returned. The raven haired male was a little disheveled, his black locks were hanging down in front of his face away from the normally neatly slicked back appearance he portrayed. His arms full with stacks of fabric from the mesh storage compartment in his living quarters. The doctor rose to greet him, offering up his seat in return. “I’ll leave em to ya. I’ve got work to attend to at the lab.”

 

Eddie nodded, giving the smaller frail form a long look as his guardian turned and vacated the room. He gently set the blankets into the chair, moving one of the quilts to expose the hidden supplies beneath. A series of aluminum packages with freeze dried content within, the same that stocked Waylon’s ship when they met. He could tell by the lingering scents in the air that the doctor had attempted to get the human to eat, something he had a feeling may have not ended the way the silver haired elder wanted.

 

“Waylon?” He asked softly, waiting for a response of any kind. He received an infirm grunt of acknowledgement. Pulling the blanket off of the top pile, Eddie draped it over his human’s tiny form before shifting him on the bed to make room for his own mammoth size. He was careful not to jostle him around too much, unfurling the male briefly as if he were a tiny kitten in his arms and repositioning him to rest tucked up against his chest. The blankets drawn over them to help capture the immense heat that radiated from the arashian’s body. Waylon curled towards it, giving another weary shiver with a feeble whimper accompanying it. “It’s alright. I’m right here.” Eddie crooned softly. His fingers brushing through the tangle of blonde locks. 

  
  


 

 

The day carried on and Waylon had completely soaked through two different sets of clothing and drank enough water to drown a Kurii. Eddie had to change the bedding both times and tried to cool down the heated skin of his human with a lukewarm shower. He left the human in just basic undergarments out of modesty and wrapped him back up in his arms to be warmed by his immense body heat. Waylon’s temperature seemed to only keep rising which further concerned the larger male. By late afternoon, he attempted to get some food into his human. Taking one of the packets and tearing it open, adding a bit of hot water and letting it soak into the freeze dried food. It contained something called macaroni and cheese to which was a strange golden hue that didn’t look at all normal to the male. He assumed it was edible given it was part of the pantry on the human’s ship. He situated Waylon into his lap so he was sitting upright and leaning against his chest. “Can you eat something for me, darling? Please?” Eddie pleaded, trying to coax the package into Waylon’s hands.

 

The blonde seemed to ignore it at first, turning away from the idea before pale blue orbs recognized the packaging. He shifted in place to get his arm out into a more comfortable position and took the offered supplies. He was happy to see something that was normal for once after all the strange foods he’s been consuming here. He was slow going, taking his time between bites to test and see how well his body was handling it. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t feel as queasy as he had been and worked through most of the package.

 

Eddie’s color spots flashed with deep blues to portray his delight that the male wasn’t going to expire from starvation any time soon. One hand continued to stroke his back in slow gentle motions. ‘Thank you.” Waylon murmured, clearing his throat as he handed Eddie back the empty package with the spork sticking up out of it. His hands moving to recollect his water bottle from earlier to wash down the meal. Clearing his throat a few times, feeling the raw burn from earlier that morning still present.

 

He relaxed back against the larger male’s chest and closed his eyes. The color spots on the alien’s chest shifted to tones of deep purple in yearning while mingling with the pleased blue hues. His eyes swirling with that same expression as he set the empty package aside and wrapped his arms around the human, drawing the blanket back up around the smaller male’s shoulders. He listened to the gentle rise and fall of every breath in his chest, his own body syncing with the movements and creating a soft hum on the air. A fragile flow of music resonating in his chest, a soothing vibration that transmitted into the human’s form. The black canvas of scales on his form rippling with a myriad of colors, chasing across the entire spectrum before settling back to the ebony flow.

 

They were permitted another hour of peace and silence before the silver haired male slipped quietly into the dome. Unbeknownst to either sleeping forms in the bed. His silver pools trailing over the strange object resting in the chair beside the bed. His fingers plucking one up to read the labels on the front. A soft hum in his chest as silver eyes leveled on his charge. A low vibration rumbled in his chest, startling Eddie from his sleep and causing his embrace to tighten around the fragile being in his arms. His spots decorated in splashes of yellow and pink before deep blue orbs fixed on the familiar form. The ever terrifying ‘look’ being aimed his direction. The hand still holding the freeze dried contents swayed it in front of his view. Eddie shrank back in the bed and dipped his head down, the pink overtaking more of his spots then the yellow tones. The doctor sighed and tossed the pack back into the chair, resting atop the other blankets in the pile.

 

He returned his attention towards the specimen and gave another low rumble, providing direction as he raised his free hand to show a small silver kit in hand. He set it on the edge of the bed and opened it, exposing a handful of basic medical tools. One of which Waylon had already been introduced to. The doctor began piecing together the silver cylindrical tube, inserting the end portion where the series of small needles would come out of. Eddie made a soft defensive huff towards the man which earned him another stern look from the doctor. He flared up in pink and orange before settling back into neutral tones. His hands gently shaking Waylon’s shoulders. “Darling, it’s time to wake up.” He urged.

 

He received reluctant groan as Waylon shifted in the male’s arms, curling back up closer to Eddie. Pressing his face into the soft fabric of his shirt and grasping at it. “A couple more minutes.” He whined, his legs stretching out before tucking back up underneath his rear. His color was coming back slowly. Looking a lot less pale than before. The doctor turned on the tablet and set it off to the side, still in view but out of the way. He noted the specimen’s body temperature had lessened but was not completely back to normal.

 

Eddie glanced back up at the doctor who busied himself with his tools. Another stern look directed his way, making Eddie wince. He looked back down at Waylon and gave him another gentle shake. “You can go back to sleep in a couple minutes. The doctor wants to take a look at you first. Please darling.” He pleaded, giving Waylon a gentle nudge to turn him around so he was partially facing Trager. Pale blue orbs opened to inspect the silver haired male, a deep wistful sigh rushing past his lips as he conceded. Holding his arm out towards the male.

 

He was greeted with lips twisted into approval. A soft hum entered the air as he praised. “Atta boy.” Taking Waylon’s wrist into hand, he carefully cleaned away the targeted area with a damp cloth and set it aside. Taking the tool into his grasp, he pressed the flat surface against his skin. Waylon sucked in a sharp breath and turned his head away before the needles pierced his skin. His fingers curled into a tight fist, a slight jerk twitching in his arm but the doctor held him firm. Eddie wrapped an arm around Waylon’s waist and gently stroked along his rib cage and torso, providing a soft vibration in his chest that the human could feel through his back. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end as a shiver raced down his back. If Waylon didn’t know better, he’d assume a massive feline was right behind him but instead of fear, he found comfort in the sensation and relaxed.

 

As the cylinder reached the halfway mark, Waylon was freed from the doctor’s grasp and allowed to do as he pleased. Which he turned back against Eddie and returned to the warmth that was the giant walking hot water bottle at his back. The doctor paused and gave Eddie another stern look but the raven haired male just shrugged and returned the embrace, a smile pulling the corners of his lips across his features, pleased at the returned intimacy of his human. He pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and carded his fingers gently through his hair.

 

 

The pair didn’t stay cuddled together for long. As night fell and they were delivered into the darkness of the dome, Waylon’s restless nature overthrew any form of weariness that had been keeping him bedridden. He squirmed free of Eddie’s hold and crawled to the edge, to the alien’s unease. He moved to aid in case the blonde met any form of upset or trouble. He followed along behind him, looming close enough for Waylon to still feel his body heat radiating off of his scales and pressing against his bare back. His feet padded over to the table to retrieve his project from the day before. “Darling, you should still be resting.” Eddie hissed, brows knitted together as he watched the male. His hand pressed against his mid back, giving a light nudge to urge him back towards the bed but Waylon seemed unaware of the gesture, continuing to fiddle with the items on the table and collect the supplies into a crate.

 

He turned to Eddie when he seemed to approve of his collection. “Can you carry this back to the bed for me please?” He hummed, shifting the white material Eddie had weaved together the day before in his arms. The larger male nodded and picked up the case with one hand, the other giving another coaxing nudge to Waylon’s shoulder which finally warranted a reaction. Urging him back towards the bed. The human crawled onto it, drawing the spare blanket up around his shoulders to cover his back, his water bottle pulled over to his side and one of the small aluminum packages was retrieved from the chair, this one containing freeze dried blueberries. He ripped the edge open and popped a couple into his mouth, dousing them with a little bit of water from the bottle and sucking on them as he patted the spot in front of him. “Shank ya.” He slurred around the berries.

 

Eddie turned the lights up in the enclosed section of the bed so the human could see and set the crate down. He laid down beside him. His body stretched out across the large expanse of the gel mattress and partially curled to see what the human was up to. Waylon dug around like a kid in a toy box, pulling the tools and spare parts back out, littering the covers of the bed as he quickly resumed his work, piecing things together and layered parts. Popping blueberries into his mouth in between. Occasionally offering some to the raven haired male to try. 


	14. Silhouette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylon finishes his project while Trager and Eddie have a serious heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song featured is Silhouette by Aquilo.

It took a couple of days for the human to return to a stable state, though he was a little sluggish in his movements. His random spurts of energy at nightfall further bewildered his arashian caretaker as the blonde spent hours working on the strange device. Fixing and rearranging parts. Always going back to the diagram of the Arashi’ anatomy that the doctor provided him with. The silver haired male would come and go, stopping by for an hour or so to watch the human and do a brief check up on his status, taking more notes along the way. He found changing up the diet between their native food and the freeze dried meals that supplied the human’s vessel did a decent job of returning him to an ideal state of health. Eddie remained a constant fixture at Waylon’s side throughout, aiding him with his work and simply watching with idle curiosity.

 

It wasn’t until late in the evening that both of the arashi’ in the dome discovered the purpose of the mystery device. Waylon had Eddie weave it into the garments he made, a series of wires that stretched throughout the uniform and down along the extended sleeves. They met at a pressure point that rested at the base of the palm. Small glove like attachments slipped over Waylon’s fingers but they stopped half way up the digits. When he stood before the two, he situated the outfit, his entire torso covered in fabric. His pale blue orbs were smudged with dark circles underneath and weary from the work he put into the project so far. “Alright. Hopefully this works and doesn’t electrocute the shit out of me.” He gave a mirthless laugh before clearing his throat. Taking a deep breath, he curled his fingers into his palms, pressing the trigger pads inside. At first it was quiet. The human frowned at the prolonged silence. Giving it a firmer squeeze yet nothing happened. He gave one more attempt, holding the pad down longer then a soft hum rose in the air.

 

At first the pair just stared before the hum shifted with the movements of Waylon’s fingers. It was like he were manipulating the strings on a marionette. Each distorting the humming to a whistling like sound. It matched the same pitch and tones that Eddie and the doctor have both displayed when speaking to each other. Eddie’s color spots flared up pink with conflicting yellows before settling back into a neon green hue of embarrassment. Trager’s body was tense in his seat, his silvery pools were wide, features drawn with shock. Waylon tweaked the sounds, a low deep hum that flashed purple across Eddie’s pecs. He was up on his feet before either the human or the doctor could stop him and captured Waylon’s hands in his. “How are you doing that?” He asked, his voice shifting to a lower tone, the honeyed vocal sounds dropping into a husky groan.

 

Waylon’s pale orbs widened, staring up at the larger male with a tense form. Eyes trying to decipher what it was that was happening to the larger male. His fingers released the pads and relaxed, letting the sound fade out. The color spots on Eddie’s body returned to their neutral black once more. “I- I’m sorry. Did I screw up?” He stumbled a bit with his words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

“It’s alright Waylon. I think that’s a marvelous display of engineering.” The doctor rose to his feet, making a smooth stride over to where his charge and specimen were. He placed a hand on Eddie’s bicep, urging the younger to relinquish his hold on the human. The raven haired male obliged and stepped back sheepishly. “The different tones mean different things ta us.” He continued to explain. “The ones you were using, well, I’d personally change the pitch if I were ya. Unless ya want ta go around cat callin every Arashian n’ the colony.”

 

“Oh, fuck.” Waylon covered his face with his palms, his cheeks flaring red as he shook his head quickly. “I’m so sorry.” He glanced from the doctor to Eddie’s sudden standoffish body language.

 

The doctor gave him a firm pat on the back and shifted the fabric to get at the slit in the center chest piece. It looked like a small vertical pocket that could be opened along the sternum. A few changes in calibration and Trager fixed the fabric back shut. “There. Give it another try.” The pair of aliens stepped back and gave Waylon some space. He was a little apprehensive towards trying, eyes skirting up towards Eddie’s awkward stance near the doctor before he gave the series of pressure pads in the palms of his gloves a squeeze. The device drawing in air and manipulating it through a series of slatted tubes and pathways. It was pretty much like playing an organ, opening and closing tubes, drawing in air flow and creating sound throughout. The sounds this time matched the more aggressive or neutral tones that he was aiming for. Luckily enough there was no discomfort on the larger male’s end and the test was a success.

 

With some further guidance from Trager, Waylon was able to figure out what each tone meant and could play them out accordingly. It wasn’t a hundred percent perfect but it was enough to get by in an emergency. Especially if it came to an altercation. He could at least come off as aggressive and threatening should a Whiffler or Kurii come after him and maybe even a few minor Arashi’. Though he didn’t think that would be a problem to worry about.

  
  


 

 

They were finishing up their lesson on vocal tones and signals when one of the doctor’s staff knocked at the door. They were escorted to the dome by two guards, one of which was missing an eye and hard large white scars marking the side of his face. A black fabric patch covered the void space in his socket. The other had white marks rising up from his chest, peeking out from beneath his black uniform. The staff member wasn’t anyone that Waylon recognized. Normally the violet eyed female was a common vision around the doctor but today he was greeted with a young male that had long fiery red hair wrangled back into neat braid down his back. The robe like white uniform was a symbol that he was from the medical facility.

 

There was a quiet discussion between the doctor and his staff. The guards were on edge, staring down Eddie and Waylon from across the room. Both Eddie recognized after a few minutes as being the same ones that took him to the sound chamber for his punishment. An eerie clicking sound echoed in the back of his mind, making the color spots around his throat and chest pale to a snowy white. His gaze was turned down towards the device Waylon was working on, his hand resting on the blonde’s chair tightened its grip until his claws were digging into the fabric. His blue orbs clouded over, a sight that Waylon had rarely seen. He turned his attention onto the larger male, noticing the tightness in his shoulders and the way the musculature in his body flexed. His chest looked a little more extended then usual, a sight only witnessed when Eddie felt threatened or on edge.

 

“You alright?” Waylon nudged. His fingers curling over Eddie’s hand slowly, giving it a gentle rub. “Eddie?” His voice was a soft whisper, loud enough for only the two of them to hear.

 

“Eddie.” The next words were clipped, slipping from the nasally tone of the doctor. The raven haired male jolted, his blue orbs resting on the silvery pools. Their gaze boring into him with a knowing look. His spots shuddered between pink and white as his guardian spoke in a firm tone. Those eyes never once leaving his charge’s gaze, demanding his full and complete attention be on him. “Come with me.” He directed. The raven haired male swallowed dryly, giving a nod of affirmation before turquoise hues flickered across his spots. “Waylon will be fine. We won’t be gone long. The guards will be right outside should he need anything.”

 

Forlorn orbs glanced over towards the human, but were met with an inspirited smile. “I’ll be fine. Go on.” Waylon made a shooing motion. He had a sympathetic front though the concern in his eyes rippled like droplets into a pond.

 

Eddie nodded and reluctantly fell into step behind the elder male. They followed the red haired staff member across the colony towards the large white dome. The same one where he was sentenced to his punishment. His unease increased as they passed by the black cells of the sound chambers outside. His hearts were thundering in his chest, continuing until they were deep inside. Instead of entering the main courtroom, they took a set of steps that went down below it. There were massive screens and monitors on display all around the room like a security system. For the time being they were in an idle state, showing a pale blue light. When the red haired male approached, a few keystrokes lit up the monitors to show all kinds of script in their native dialect. There were images of the other four colonies appearing up on separate screens. Each had an update of information that seemed unusual. The main screen showed a series of transmissions made between the colonies and one that was sent out the day prior sometime in the middle of the night.

 

The sender of the transmission used a staff key code to get in, which normally wouldn’t be a problem to backtrack. But the doctor knew for a fact that the key code used belonged to the dead staff member that the twins had killed. Furthermore, the screen displayed that the transmission was bounced over a network of different points between here and their sister colonies before finally ending up at the first colony. “Sir, what’s going on?” Eddie’s words were wary, his color spots flashing bright pink making him wish he had grabbed his holoprojector before leaving. His fingers curled into tight fists as he pleaded to his guardian for answers.

 

“My apologies for frightenin’ ya son but what’s goin on is worth bein afeared.” The silver haired doctor stepped towards one of the monitors, showing an image of the first colony their species established. Once upon a time it was a small outpost on a tiny moon. Now it was a massive thriving metropolis that reflected the life of their own planet. Made of dark metals and granite, carved out into the jagged landscape and towers above the endless wasteland of sand. There was no greenery or foliage. No trees or livestock or even farmland present. No small housing units or domes. Just a bleak and dark abode that was more medieval and cold. The other three images were smaller versions of the first still in the process of growing and expanding. There was a series of transmissions that they intercepted involving resource deliveries from their home planet of Kurask.

 

The red haired male looked from the monitors towards the pair behind him, his lips parting as a smooth silky voice drifted from his lips. A perversion towards the dreadful news he was providing. His tone held a french twist to his words, lingering just beneath the surface. Another dialect adopted by observing humans over the years. “Last night a member of our staff sent a transmission to the First Colony. The call logs were erased immediately after the message was sent but we were able to pick up on transmissions delivered to the First Colony by following any mentions of the Arcadian Unit.” The Arcadian unit was what the other colonists dubbed Trager’s project. “There were mentions of the extermination orders and the deaths. A vessel has been sent to seize control of the colony and investigate these reports.”

 

“Wait! What extermination orders? Why are you talking about deaths?” Eddie blurted, his color spots were fluctuating madly between different shades of alarm. His gaze jumping from the red haired staff member and the doctor. “What is going on? What have you done?” His spots jumped to reds and oranges as he stepped closer to his guardian. Blue orbs steely and cold as they glared at the doctor.

 

He breathed a deep sigh, features disgruntled as he adjusted his glasses. His silver pools turned away from his charge as he inspected them for smudges. “I haven’t been the most honest with ya over the years and I apologize for that. Now all of this is comin out of the dark and I fear the repercussions will harm not only me but everyone within this colony.” He pushed his glassed up to rest on the bridge of his nose before his gaze turned back to the livid blue hues of the larger male. The sweet little hatchling he once held so tenderly in his arms decades ago was all grown up. He was a fine young Arashian but not the kind to survive the world that consumed their home planet.

 

“The Arcadian project wasn’t something the other’s approved of back home on Kurask. In fact, I had to beg to be given a chance. If it wasn’t for my previous position on the council in the century leading up to the project, I would have been executed as a form of treason.” He sighed and leaned back against the desk in front of the monitors. He knew the day would come where the dirt of their people would come to light. He had been planning for so long and yet it was still so hard to come to terms with the state of their people. How easily they had all fallen. “The other heads of the sister colonies weren’t at all happy about this decision. They didn’t want my studies to succeed. They did everything they could to interfere within their limits. They sent supply ships with tainted or ailing goods, they only sent a small handful of guards to protect the colony in its early stages. We had older ships that couldn’t make the trips as often and broke down, stranding their crews often. The final straw was sending the twins here.” He explained.

 

The red haired male pressed a few keystrokes, drawing up a series of images. Some of them being the twins when they first arrived. Others were of mass destruction including multiple mutilated and ripped apart corpses of livestock. There was a residential unit that was completely destroyed by their aggressive behavior. They spent multiple stents in the sound chambers and were put through all kinds of corrective treatments trying to civilize them. “These two weren’t from our cities on Kurask.” Trager explained. “In fact, they were orphans from a cannibalistic pack that was discovered roamin the wastelands. They had a tendency ta bite n’ attack staff n’ even each other.” There were images of large gaping wounds where they tried eating staff members and even images of them in heavy duty restraints being patched up and put into the capsules to regrow back the masses of flesh they consumed from each other. “The final straw was right after they attacked Waylon and were put into the sound chambers. While they were in recovery, they broke free n’ attacked multiple staff n’ successfully killed one.” The pictures of the facility afterwards were shown across the screen. The blood everywhere. The mass of injuries on staff and the dead member still lying in a heap on the floor before the doorway.

 

“I directed the guards with n’ execution order. I sent a dozen men n’ half that returned in one piece. Three were ripped apart by them before they were able to take them down.” There were photos of the men as they were treated and tended to for their injuries. Some even included the bodies still covered with the large white cloth stained with the myriad of colors from their blood. “Someone contacted the First Colony about the incident. They’re comin here to investigate and shut us down.” He ran his hand over his hair and dipped it down over his neck. Eddie was uneasy at those words, his spots fluctuating back to pink and turquoise.

 

“Our species is dyin son.” Trager continued, his voice rising with his emotions. “What we’re doin here is savin them by tryin to save our planet. Kurask is dyin. Our resources are being wasted on the other colonies while our people are left to starve back home. Forced into slavery for a drink of water. The colonies are corrupt. Our cities are poisoned. What few supporters I had back on Kurask are either enslaved or dead by now.” He gave a shaky breath.

 

“What does that have to do with me?” Eddie was wary, easing his way around the tension that settled where silence slithered. He felt boxed in with this information. It was dizzying, taking all of this in at once. Seeing his adoptive father in a new light. Seeing the colony in a new light. It was apparent many others knew of these atrocities and yet they continued to live on without a thought or question.

 

Trager was quiet for a long time, considering what it was he wished to request of his charge. Eddie’s fists curled tighter, the array of colors was easy to read but Trager sympathized with the boy. He was scared and honestly the doctor was petrified of what he wanted to say. Either way, he was going to lose him in the end. At least this way he had a choice as to how. “I want ya to take Waylon back to earth.” Eddie’s lips parted to speak in protest but Trager stopped him with a hand poised in the air and a hiss spreading between them. “I want ya to go with him and stay hidden on earth. I know I told ya the reason we’re studyin humans is to save them but right now they’re the only place in which we can hide. Where  _ you  _ can be hide in plain sight.” He gave a weary sigh. “If the other Arashi’ come here, it will no longer be safe for us. If they discover Waylon here, they will kill him and you.” He pressed. “D’ya understand?”

 

Eddie’s lips parted, words failing to reach his lips as his biggest fears came to light. He closed his mouth and swallowed hard, nodding in affirmation. “Atta boy.” The doctor turned towards the monitors as he continued. “Now here’s what I need ya ta do.”


	15. Believer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylon gets an extreme Arashian make over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song for this chapter is Believer by Imagine Dragons (I was listening to Alison Sparrow's Violin cover of the song which is amazing!)
> 
> Also another good one I listened to with it towards the end half was This Is Our Fight Song by Rachel Platten (Scottish Cover By Piano Guys)
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOO5qRjVFLw&feature=youtu.be 
> 
> You should definitely check it out.

“Eddie, what are you doing?” The astronaut asked in a slow awkward tone. His hands busy with some final adjustments to his suit, adding some fabric to the lining of the outfit to lessen his chances of being electrocuted or burned by the wiring. His pale blue orbs turned a bit, meeting the smoldering darker pools of the Arashian. His black scaly skin rubbing against the human’s neck. The colors shifting between blue and purple hues as he rubbed his cheek against Waylon. A low steady rumble resting in his chest as he shifted to the back of the human’s neck and moved around to the other side. Waylon was tempted to move away if it wasn’t for the fact he was sort of caged in the chair with the Arashian at his back, arms snaked around his waist to pull him closer.

 

He hummed lowly before lips parted to speak. “Covering your scent with mine.” He purred, his embrace tightening on the human as he rubbed against his lower back. His color spots flaring brightly to purple as his pheromones shifted in his body to smother the smell of human.

 

“And why would you need to do that?” Waylon set his tools down and moved his hands to press over the Arashian’s massive paws. His fingers curling around them to try and pry himself free, wiggling in his seat so he could at least turn around and face him properly. This made Eddie sit up and give him a yearning look, eyes glistening with some form of intent that was unbeknownst to Waylon.

 

“Because…” He started, spots shuddering with yellow hues, scaring away the purple tones and retreating back to pink. “Because there is danger in smelling human. There are other Arashi’ coming from outside the colony.” He relinquished his hold on Waylon and stood so he was leaning against the back support of the chair. “These Arashi’ do not like humans. Like the twins, they will attack. I need to protect you by placing my scent on you.”

 

“How is your scent going to hide the fact I look nothing like the rest of you?” Waylon countered, giving the Arashian a long look, eyes narrowed at him.

 

Eddie’s spots faded back to their normal neutral tones as he gripped the back of the chair in thought. He contemplated divulging what Trager had told him but decided it was best to take it one step at a time. Not wanting to get the human’s hopes up. “I’m supposed to hide you with my scent while the doctor procures a holoprojector for you. We will pass you off as my Arashi’ hatchling darling.” He offered a small smile. “They are still very small when young. When they are your size, they smell of their parents to fend off predators and show that they are protected and where they belong.”

 

Waylon raised a brow at this explanation. He was incredulous at first and as he thought it over, it made sense. Animals mark their young from birth with their scent. Conflicting scents leave them open for predators. In this case, it was the same thing though the idea of being rubbed all over by Eddie wasn’t something he wanted to experience. It was awkward and unusual. He contemplated this for a moment before asking. “How long will this take?”

 

“You are small, so not very long.” He hummed, fingers drumming on the edge of the chair as he provided an innocent smile. “Please darling. It is imperative.”

 

“And there is no other way to do this?” Waylon pressed, giving a reluctant look.

 

A familiar nasally tone cut in as the doctor stepped inside the dome, the tablet still firmly in hand as he worked. “Aside from injectin yer scent glands with our pheromones each day, this is the easiest and most effective.” He gave the pair a pointed look as he paused in his scanning over a recent set of data from Waylon’s blood analysis. “I don’t think yer body would react well with those injections.”

 

Waylon tensed, his gaze wide as he gave the doctor a long look, hoping he was merely teasing him. But the man remained blunt as always, his stern silver pools watching the human closely before he finally gave in. “Fine. Do what you have to.”

 

Eddie grinned, picking up the human with a swift motion and whisking him over to the bed where they could sit comfortably. He was urged to remove the robe like garment from his torso, leaving soft shivers running down Waylon’s spine. He could feel the immense heat rolling off of Eddie’s body, lapping at his back and leaving his front in the cold. The Arashian paused, giving the pale canvas of skin a long look, spying the marks left behind from the Twins. The large scars tracking diagonally across his lower back towards his hips. There was a series of smaller scars like miniature burns that littered different areas on his back, once again these were also marks left behind, this time from Trager’s scan. Showing where the bolts of electricity had entered the human’s body. It made Eddie bristle at the damage that had been tracked all over his human but he pushed that down, fixing himself to focus solely on the task at hand.

 

His claws trailed along Waylon’s rib cage in gentle touches, caressed along his body and moving one around to rest over his front. Holding him still with the other on Waylon’s hip as he began his work. His color spots flared a deep purple, releasing the pheromones he’d need as a low rumble sounded in his chest. To Waylon, it was like having a massive feline at his back with the warm hands pressing over his sensitive flesh. He jerked in place when the Arashian’s long tongue rolled out of his mouth and lathed over his exposed neck and shoulder. His fingers curled into tight fists, resting in his lap. His features burning a dark red of embarrassment. The soft sounds of the doctor sitting at the table, working were the only other noises in the dome. He could feel those steely eyes occasionally flickering over to watch them.

 

The hot tongue roamed down along his spine and lapped at his back. The astronaut had to remind himself that it’s like when a dog or cat bathe their young. That there was nothing more to it then that. Though a startled sound met his lips when he felt something suction against his mid back and pull with a sudden popping sound. His back arched and he jolted away, his eyes widened in surprise. “Sorry.” Eddie slurred. “I’ve never done this before.”

 

“Eddie, watch yer suckers. You’ll cover him in spots if ya don’t.” The doctor frowned, chastising the male from across the room. “Treat him like yer hatchling, not yer mate.”

 

He felt Eddie shift behind him, tugging Waylon more into his lap so they were much closer. Eddie focused on using the top portion of his tongue so the little sucker like parts underneath don’t mark the human up all over. He moved much slower, making sure to cover most of Waylon’s back between licks and rubbing. Moving his way back up to his shoulders and around his neck. Waylon’s embarrassment only increased when it came time for them to be face to face. He bit his lip and hissed as the long tongue moved down along his collarbone and across his chest. His pale blue orbs closed, trying to ignore the cat bath and concentrate on other things. Yet, it was futile when the alien reached his pecs. “What are these for?” The male inquired, his tongue pressing over the male’s nipple with a curious chirp in his throat. Waylon gasped and pulled away, putting a hand over his chest to avoid anymore unnecessary stimulation.

 

It took Waylon a moment to realize that his scaly caretaker didn’t have what mammals did. Especially if their young are born from eggs, it wasn’t something that would be necessary in rearing. He cleared his throat and shifted to give Eddie a more direct gaze. “Humans and other mammals develop breasts to feed their young. Female’s produce milk from them and the babies suckle there to feed from it. Both males and females have nipples but only females have breasts.”

 

“I see.” Eddie hummed thoughtfully, taking in this observation. The doctor behind him appeared to be tapping away on the tablet, adding more notes to the screen. The arashian leaned back over, gripping Waylon by the waist and pulling him closer. “I’m not finished yet. You still smell human.” He informed, drawing the pale form beneath his body so he was leaning over him. His mammoth size straddling the human’s tiny form as he resumed where he left off, to Waylon’s immense displeasure. He bit his lip as the tongue lapped over each sensitive bud and was relieved when he moved on to the lower parts of his torso. The issue picked back up as Eddie neared the dip of his belly and marked around his hips, claws caressing his sides and moving along his rib cage. The color spots in his palms reasserting the pheromones with a deep purple hue, cloaking the smell of human.

 

When he reached the hem of Waylon’s trousers, the blonde reached down and cupped the Arashian’s chin, drawing his face back up before he could go any further. “I think that’s enough for now. A break is in order.” Waylon squirmed, giving Eddie a stern tone. The arashian drew his tongue back into his mouth as he stared up at the flushed features of the male. Confusion flickering across his spots with a smattering of neon green and yellow. He sat back up, giving the human his space as Waylon grabbed the robe discarded to the side of the bed and made a rush towards the bathroom space. Leaving the larger Arashi’ staring with mouth agape. Blue orbs watching the door slam shut before they turned to meet knowing silver pools.

 

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked, sitting up on his knees with brows furrowed together. Gaze searching desperately for answers.

 

The doctor sighed, giving the tablet a brief glance as he watched the heart rate and body temperature rise on it. He hummed in contemplation glancing up towards his charge with a small smile of reassurance. “Ya did alright. Human’s are sensitive creatures. Still very complex in their feelings.” He breathed, seeing the pulse flicker then start to slowly decline back to a normal rate. “There is much we have yet ta learn about them.”

 

 

 

“Alright. Let’s see if this works.” The doctor spoke, adjusting the new holoprojector to fit snug around Waylon’s neck. He had to shorten it so it didn’t hang too far away from the specimen’s skin. It would make the illusion less believable and ill fitting. It took the entirety of the day for the new program to upload into it, using the scan of Waylon’s body from his diagram, he was able to customize an Arashian body for the holoprojector the same way he did for Eddie’s and his own human body. Their facial and bone structure remained the same. The only difference was in the color of their skin. He extended the torso to fill in space around the special device the human made. With the press of a button, the holoprojector activated.

 

Waylon’s body changed, his pale flesh became a series of sleek black scales. His hands matched the same long claws that Eddie had, right down to his bare feet. He held his hands up in front of his face and felt around. Still able to feel his actual facial features and the blonde locks atop his head were a shaggy mess tumbling down over the black expanse of flesh. Trager held up the tablet, providing a view for Waylon to look into, seeing his reflection staring right back at him. Pale blue orbs sitting cradled in the deep sockets of his Arashi’ features like jewels in ebony facets.

 

“It works.” Waylon said breathlessly, his eyes fixed on himself in the mirror. Pale orbs watching as he opened his mouth and realized he even had sharp Arashi teeth and the long tongue. Moving it around, he could even see the small suckers on the bottom of the appendage used for grappling food and drawing it back into the mouth. It was a bit surreal and took some time to cement in his mind that it was him behind those features. Moving his lips and sticking the long tongue out. A soft laugh could be heard from Eddie, his lips pulled in the corners with amusement.

 

“Ya look like an Arashi’. Ya sound like an Arashi’. Ya smell like an Arashi’. Now fer the final test.” Trager smirked, giving Waylon’s collar a slight adjustment. “Eddie, ya know what ta do.”

 

The larger male nodded and wrapped an arm around Waylon’s shoulders, drawing him up close to his side. He guided the human out of the dome into the bright sunshine of day. It was mid afternoon and the square would be busy with the lock down over. No longer needing to be guarded all the time, they followed the same long winding path heading towards the Yanno fountain. Unlike before where they were alone upon entering the open area, there were a handful of motherly Arashi’ gathered on the benches along the fountain. Young hatchlings played, splashing the water that pooled at the base towards each other. Small clicks and chirps like crickets skittered back and forth as the tiny beings raced around the square. All of them were in their natural skin color, the black scales glistening in the sunlight as they basked openly. They wore the same robe like garments around their torso with a sash and trousers. Each wore purple sashes around their waists while Waylon’s own was still the deep blue.

 

The children that played and ran around wore blue sashes as well, drawing Waylon to glance up at Eddie with question. “Does the color of clothing signify something special to your species?” He murmured, his tone soft enough that only they could hear.

 

Eddie hummed softly, moving them towards an empty bench to sit down. His hand still resting gently on Waylon’s mid back. “Those who have already found mates wear purple. The man wear them around the waists and the females across their torso. Like so.” Eddie gestured towards a lone little hatchling with a blue sash running diagonally across her body the way a Miss America model would. “Blue signifies that you do not have a mate yet. No matter if you are too young. Some Arashi’ pair up in their juvenile years and remain close until they reach maturity and can begin nesting together.”

 

“Wait, so all of the Arashi’ over there are male?” Waylon gestured with his eyes towards the bench of Arashi’. One of which was dotingly scenting the young hatchling standing in front of him, nuzzling at his neck affectionately as he used a small cloth to wipe the water from his scales.

 

“Yes. Female Arashi’ give birth to the eggs and the male’s brood them. Once they have hatched, the males are the dominant caregiver. They raise and protect the hatchlings, scenting them and making certain other Arashi’ and predators know who the hatchling belongs to and that danger will come should they be harmed or feel threatened.” Eddie leaned in closer to Waylon, nuzzling at his neck and giving gentle licks. His scales fluctuating with purple hues as he renewed the scents on him. “It is common for them to scent the hatchlings. The females spend their time supporting the family until the next nesting period.” He purred lowly, the rumble ghosting over Waylon’s neck, sending all the little hairs on his body to stand on end. “Female Arashi’ are rarer and rarer as the years pass. Males dominate the population of our species both in numbers and in power.”

 

“Eddie!” A voice piped up excitedly as a lithe red haired Arashi’ approached the pair. The male was the father of the young Arashi’ girl given she had the same long fiery hair tied back in twin braids. She shared the same bright emerald eyes as her father, brilliant jewels set back into the darkness of the scales. The sunshine only seemed to make them more vibrant and breathtaking. They flickered over the very human garments Eddie was wearing, the white long sleeve, matching Waylon’s own outfit. He wore dark trousers and no sash to signify his status like Waylon. They drifted from the raven haired male towards the small blonde counterpart. “Who’s this? Another of the doctor’s orphans?” The red haired male inquired, his form though slender was also very tall compared to Waylon. Looming over the human as he shrank back away from the toothy smile he was given. He was tense at how close the stranger had become in inspecting the new youngling. “You’re a peculiar one.”

 

“He’s actually one of mine Azzarial.” Eddie gave a low growl of warning, baring his sharp teeth at the approaching red head, snaking his arm around Waylon’s shoulders and tucking him up against his body.

 

The emerald orbs widened in surprise as he straightened up and backed up giving Waylon some space. “Ah, I see. Taking after your father’s work have you? That’s admirable.” He crossed his arms over his chest, green hues roaming over Waylon’s young form. His attention was drawn away when the small Arashi’ girl tugged at his robes, making soft cricket like clicking sounds. He beamed, reaching down to scoop her up into his arms, nuzzling at her cheek with an affectionate purr. “Well, it’s good to see the younglings have a future still. Your father’s work with the abandoned ones is detrimental to the Arashi’.” He cooed at the young girl, swinging her around in his arms like a cradle in the wind. She make joyful squeals and shrieks, her color spots a vibrant blue.

 

“I only wish the council could see that.” Eddie’s tone was low but a smile remained on his lips. Though the topic was a grim one, Eddie bristled with pride over his adoptive father’s accomplishments. Trager often made questionable decisions but he always had other’s interests in mind. He was not a selfish man like other Arashi’ he’s seen. It was rare for an Arashian, especially a male, to take in strangers into his home. Especially that of hatchlings not of his brood. Many would call it unnatural but as far as Eddie saw it, they were no longer primitive beasts on the prowl. They were civilized society and from what he’s seen of humanity, they take care of their young no matter who’s nest they came from.

 

The red haired little girl shifted from her excited sounds to a more docile state before she started to make distressed sounds. Her fingers grasping at her father’s robes as she wiggled and squirmed. ‘Uh oh, looks like it’s feeding time.” Azzarial chuckled lightly. He made soft hums to calm her, cradling her against his chest as she puffed her chest up as if to pout. “I better return. It was nice talking with you and please extend my regards to your father for me. I never got to properly thank him for tending to Misseyla’s fever. He has my unending gratitude.”

 

“I will Azzarial.” Eddie bowed his head with his eyes closed and gave a few low hums in his chest which were reciprocated by Azzarial. A soft conversation between the two before the red head turned to leave with an increasingly fussy hatchling wiggling in his arms. Waylon looked around and noticed many of the other Arashi’ fathers were collecting their equally as fussy hatchlings. Cradling them all in their arms and muzzling them, bright purple tones settling around their palms and throats as they provided affection towards their children.

 

“Shouldn’t we be going as well?” Waylon spoke softly, leaning closer to Eddie so his head was almost propped up on the male’s bicep.

 

Eddie raised a brow, giving Waylon a slow glance. “Why? Is it feeding time for you as well?” He teased, giving Waylon a playful nudge with his elbow before raising his arm to capture him in an embrace, tucking him up against his side. He released a long slow content sigh. “I think I want to stay here for a little bit longer. If that’s fine with you darling.” His eyes wandered over the quillback serpent statue rising up out of the fountain. Enjoying the soft sounds of the water cascading down it’s back and joining the cool refreshing pool at the base. There was no breeze on the wind but the soft fragrances of the flowers in the medium drifted on the air from the movements of foot traffic stirring through their petals.

 

Waylon relaxed back into the Arashian’s hold finding he did enjoy the scenery. For something so far away from earth, it gave him fond reminders of home. Of days stretched out in the sun at the local park, the cool shade of a large tree overhead and the idle chatter of picnickers in the distance. The laughter of children as they pedaled on the bike trails past the grassy hills and the mountains in the distance. Of course instead of mountains he had the white hills of domes and the endless expanse of plant life extending out before him. Each intricately weaved between the buildings and the foot paths. A constant and beautiful reminder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, part one of Can Anybody Hear Me? is reaching it's end soon. I have a plan to break this up into three different parts. The first is coming to a close in a few more chapters and then I will take a short break from posting to focus on other pieces. I will let you all know when I continue back up again. but for now, please drop a comment or kudos below to let me know what you think. I have a couple more chapters in mind before the break and things are going to get more intense and action packed soon. (As well as heart breaking.) So be prepared.


	16. Soul of a Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Arashi' arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song is Soul of a Man by Steven Stern.

The pair continued on with their task at hand, following the winding paths until they made it to the intersection of plant life. Eddie directed Waylon to turn towards the orchard, guiding him off the path to cut through the endless rows of trees and greenery, hidden far from view. There was a shed like building in the very center of the orchard, presumably filled with tools for working and tending to the expanse of growth. The building, like many others was white but not dome shaped. It shared the same cylindrical appearance as the sound chamber only was far bigger. To Waylon it was about the size of pole barn back home. Using a special key card, Eddie slid it through the locking mechanism causing the door to slide open, permitting them access. Inside there were plenty of different tools hanging up neatly on the walls to be used for tending to the plants. There were cart devices parked in the back of the barn, the bar lights running along the sides of the walls to illuminate every crack and crevice in the building.

 

The astronaut stood by and watched as Eddie pulled a choice few carts out, moving them all at once, realizing they were tied together like a subtle train. It exposed a hatch in the floor that the Arashian unlocked this time with the press of his finger over a small square pad. It beeped softly, the locking mechanism clicking as it freed from the bolts, allowing Eddie to open it up and gesture to the astronaut to continue ahead. There was a ladder leading down into a dimly lit tunnel. He slowly descended a dozen or so feet before looking around. The same bar lights were present at the top and bottom parts of the walls, running along spaces where ceiling met wall and wall met floor. He stepped back away to wait for Eddie who climbed in just enough to close the hatch behind him before jumping the rest of the way down to land before Waylon. The blonde shifted, triggering the sensors for the other lights which brightened the section of tunnel they were standing in. Eddie resumed his lead, a hand resting on Waylon’s lower back to urge him along. As they moved deeper into the tunnel, each new section of dim lights would brighten and the sections behind them would return to their previously dim appearance.

 

After several minutes, they met an intersection to which Eddie turned left and continued on, keeping Waylon close to his side. It felt like they had been walking forever before they finally reached the end of the tunnel. This time there was a flat platform they stood upon, big enough for several humans or a couple Arashi’. Eddie pressed a switch on the platform causing it to stir with a soft whirring as they rose up a dimly lit shaft.

 

Once they reached the top floor, the entire cavern was illuminated, not by traditional lighting but by a seemingly endless supply of crystals growing up out of the rocky walls and ceiling. A soft blue glow surrounded the massive cavern giving it an eerie feeling. Portions of the cavern contained large amounts of technology and equipment. There were massive crates and boxes stacked up on one side filled with excess supplies. There were bits and pieces of satellites and even a couple old rovers, some of which the axles were busted or bent beyond mobility. Amidst it all was a massive sleek looking ship made of white material much like the domes giving it a soft glow from the surrounding crystal formations. It had a ovular pod like body that extended with a protruding appendage in the front that looked like the head of a top with a cork screw type design made up of wide ridges. Beside it was Waylon’s craft, or what was left of it. There were large pieces of the heat resistant paneling that were absent and there was extensive damage to the communications systems and the previously damaged thruster was missing entirely. Leaving him to one working engine and one partial.

 

“Is this your ship?” Waylon asked, eyes wide as he stepped towards the sleek design. The ovular body and the drill like portion were connected only by a circular diamond like cone made up of a rotating support frame that allowed the drill portion to move while keeping the ovular part stationary.

 

“It’s called an U’guna. It’s used for construction purposes back on our planet. There’s normally a couple lying around each colony.” He took a step up behind Waylon and ruffled the astronaut’s blonde locks fondly. “They’re not very popular and a bit complicated to pilot.” He stepped away from the U’guna and moved over towards Waylon’s vessel. Giving a long mournful look. “This one needs to be functional in the next couple days.”

 

“Why?” The astronaut gave him a confused look at first, moving towards the lost cause of a ship. He wasn’t sure it was ever going to be functional again without all of the pieces.

 

“Because we need to leave before the Arashi’ get here. We’re going back to earth to hide.” He explained, moving towards an area where the large boxes were. He tugged a few crates down from the stack before he found the ones he wanted and pried them open. “I collected what I could from the wreckage.” Placing it down before the human, Waylon was able to see a lot of the paneling for his heat shield but it didn’t look like all of it. Some portions were cracked or broken in half, some were bent or warped. “It just needs to be functional enough to enter earth’s atmosphere and touch down. I’ll guide you in with my U’guna.”

 

“Wait a sec, how are you going to get in without being spotted? You’ll get picked up on military radar just as easily.” Waylon blurted out, already trying to imagine the backlash that will arise if his craft is towed in with that massive ship. There’d be a lot of questions and trouble that he wouldn’t be able to wiggle out of.

 

Eddie raised a brow at Waylon then chuckled. “The same technology that is used with our holoprojectors is built into our ships. That’s how I’m able to travel around your planet’s orbit without being seen.” He move another large crate, exposing the rest of the parts and pieces he picked up. “You have this entire place at your disposal. Do you think you can fix it?”

 

Waylon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around at the ship and the boxes offered to him. He rubbed the back of his neck in contemplation, breathing a deep sigh. “It’s going to be tight but I think I can manage it.” His shoulders slumped before looking over at the male. “Where are your tools?”

 

 

  
  


It was a long slow process, patching up his vessel. With Eddie’s help and quite a bit of elbow grease, he managed to get a majority of the paneling back on and the navigation systems were back in working manner just enough to get him back to the surface. They spent the entirety of three days inside the cavern, making a routine of traveling to the park in the morning to sit with Eddie amidst the other Arashi’, building a reputation amidst the other Arashi’. They would leave about the same time every day and head to the cavern to continue their work. Returning home when night would fall after taking a calming stroll through the gardens with the soft blue light of the paths guiding them. It lessened any suspicion from other Arashi’, seeing it as Eddie teaching and bonding with an orphan hatchling as one orphan to another.

 

After the third day, their peaceful life was turned upside down when large Arashian ships eclipsed the domes in mid afternoon. The large black form of the cargo ships docking at the official landing platform that linked to the colony dome through a long tunnel, see through like the rest of it. The Arashi’ were urged to gather in the large white building, flooding into the auditorium pews and filling it out. Eddie and Waylon slipped inside easily, the larger male wearing the traditional clothing of his people right down to the blue sash signifying his status. It was a strange view seeing Eddie in Arashian garments but Waylon understood the dangers of sticking out in the crowd and made certain to remain close to his caretaker.

 

There were a myriad of clicks and chattering murmuring throughout before a hiss silenced the crowd. The cluster of arashian’s turned their vibrant gazes towards the center of the room where two massive Arashi’ stepped inside flanked by multiple guards of equal proportions. Waylon glanced from them to Eddie, who was the biggest Arashian he’s seen so far in the colony but even these made the raven haired male look small. They wore intricate black robes with a golden sash tied around their waists. The guards flanking them had red tied around their waists with the same black garments. There were openings in the backs of their robes that allowed them the easy use of their tendrils.

 

Waylon’s eyes scanned around the room, searching for the doctor as the Arashian with the golden sash stepped up to the podium. His hair was a dark brown, very short and easy to miss at first. With the bright lights surrounding the podium, Waylon noted the arashian was toned and muscular in comparison to his guards. It seemed he didn’t even need the additional assistance but he assumed it was the same as an alpha surrounding himself with large betas. They’re in control but don’t need to do the dirty work themselves. “Where’s the doctor?” Waylon murmured into Eddie’s ear, leaning up to keep it quiet.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t like this.” The arashian bristled, blue orbs searching the auditorium hoping he had just overlooked him. In doing so he noted that the guards native to the colony were nowhere to be seen. Instead they were all replaced with the red sash members of the First Colony. “None of the medical staff are here either.” He whispered back to Waylon, moving a hand to the blonde’s side and tucking him up closer. His grip was protective and strong, causing slight pain in Waylon’s rib cage and making him squirm to readjust. There was a series of hums and low vibrations before the crowd stirred up with excited chatter and murmurs. There was a loud hiss from people near the entry as guards entered the auditorium pulling a chain behind them.

 

At the end of the chain was the doctor. His holoprojector had been taken away from him, the long silver hair normally so neatly tied back was hanging down in his face. A stark contrast against the black scales of his body. His torso was exposed as the human garments he wore were ripped apart. Just tatters over his body and stained with the colorful fluid dripping from his mouth and nose. His glasses were absent. His silver pools lined with the crusty old graying scales. His color spots remained neutral and his body was relaxed despite the electrified shackles binding around his neck and both of his wrists. The same that were used on the twins. He was led to stand before the podium and forced to kneel before the larger Arashi’.

 

Eddie bristled beside Waylon, his claws digging painfully into his side, forcing Waylon to grab the arashian’s hands and pry them off of him. Pulling them instead into his hold, his fingers rubbing over the backs of them in soothing attempts. Eddie’s blue orbs were fixed on his father’s pitiful figure with the others looming over him. There was a dreadful hush over the crowd as they watched in horror as their leader was to be judged by the First Colony.

 

The head of the First Colony spoke in a low hum, the rest of the room was silent, waiting with bated breath. The doctor sighed, turning his silvery pools onto the larger male, meeting him eye to eye as he cut him off. “Enough with the charades Blaire.”

 

The larger male, Blaire, sneered at the insolence. A sharp jolt of electricity rushed through the doctor, his jaw clenched as he shuddered. His color spots remaining neutral though, giving no tells as to what the elder man was feeling. Waylon gasped, his gentle grip on Eddie’s claws tightened. “Fine, you wish to use this primitive language, I will.” The tone was surprisingly proper and smooth. The astronaut had expected it to be far harsher and guttural but like the lavish appearance and poise, the man held some form of gentry to his tones. Like a snobby aristocratic gentleman. “Richard Trager, doctor on Arashian and Human studies, failed member of the Council of Kurask, sent to this waste of a rock to execute the Arcadia mission. Instead you decided to build a colony despite not being approved for its construction.” Blaire sneered in disgust. “The council chose to overlook that mishap and continued to support your pitiful efforts. Now you turn your back on your own species and commit blatant murder.”

 

There was a rush of voices sweeping through the audience. Waylon tensed, looking up to Eddie searching for answers. Yet the larger male remained quiet. Blue orbs were icy and cold. He watched as the guards hissed into the crowd, silencing them all. “Yes, murder. There’s even evidence of the gruesome act perfectly documented and a witness to these orders.” The soft sounds stirred as a pair of guards escorted the young brunette nurse into the auditorium. Her violet eyes turned forward, fixed on the podium and never moving to look at the doctor at her side. Her body was tense, his nerves quivering with unease. She still wore her holoprojector, maintaining the soft and gentle human demeanor. In her hand was a small remote like device which she used to turn on an overhead projection that cast across the wall behind the podium. A collage of gruesome images displaying the dead guards and staff members, those injured by the twins’ attacks and the dead bodies of the twins themselves with their heads severed clean off.

 

The crowd was mortified, the stirring of low hums and murmurs. Eddie shifted in place, his shoulders drawn back and spots flaring with red hues. The muscles in his neck and shoulders were bulging. His hand pulled away from Waylon’s touch to curl into tight fists, claws digging into his palms and dripping small droplets of colorful blood onto the floor. His chest extended further then normal, putting Waylon on guard.

 

“What do you have to say for yourself?” The haughty tone sliced through the air.

 

“If yer expectin me ta deny it, I’m not gonna. I did what needed ta be done.” Trager spoke flatly, his gaze challenging the superior Arashi’. His jaw set and expression firm. This display of defiance earned him another sharp jolt of electricity coursing through his body, this time lasting longer and obviously much stronger than the last. Still, he endured and continued to remain as defiant and stubborn as ever.

 

“There is no place among the Arashi’ for a coward like you.” Blaire growled, the guards moving in towards the doctor and grabbing him harshly by his shoulders and forcing him down to the floor in a low grovel. A large claw pressing his face into the floor. “You are to be extradited to Kurask. Count yourself lucky the Council has some pity for you old man.” He was dragged back up to his feet as more guards entered with their flowing red sashes. A muzzle like device was fitted around his face and cinched tight. A harness was placed around his torso, looping under his arms and covering his back with a heavy plate like device that suppressed his tendrils from being used. Blaire made a show of these activities instead of waiting for the auditorium to be cleared out beforehand as per protocol. The people weren’t allowed to leave their seats until the doctor was led out on the end of a chain surrounded by guards. The nurse that stood before the podium was quietly restrained as well to her immense surprise and led out of the auditorium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left before the end of Part 1.
> 
> FUN FACT:  
> The name of Eddie's ship, the U'guna is a play on the cherokee word meaning badger.
> 
> The ship is an older model and fits in with the fact Eddie is a salvager. He spends his time collecting the old, broken and discarded things and this ship is something that is rarely used. Sort of like the model T of the intergalactic ship industry. It is faulty and has a tendency to burn up the engines over time. Eddie keeps it patched up with the spare parts in the cavern. 
> 
> Also, the only other person who can fly or pilot that ship is Trager. He used it first to help build the foundations of the Arcadia colony. Afterwards, he taught Eddie how to use it which would be the same as a parent teaching their child how to drive stick shift and it gives him an advantage since if he can pilot the U'guna, he can pilot almost any other ship after that because it was one of the first models of their technology. 
> 
>  
> 
> One last chapter and then there will be a break between Part 1 and Part 2.


	17. Devil's Backbone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured song is Devil's Backbone by The Civil Wars
> 
> This is the final chapter for Part One of Can Anybody Hear Me?
> 
> This has been so much fun to write and I did it all in less then three weeks. I'm going to be taking a break before starting on Part Two. I don't know how long it will be but when I start working on it again, I'll be sure to tell y'all. Thank you all so much for being such supportive and loyal readers all the way through. All the comments and kudos make me so happy and kept me chugging out one or two chapters a night. Thank you so much!

Eddie was furious, his red spots flaring up all over his body, bright enough to be seen beneath the thin white garments adorning his frame. Every footstep was a thud on the floor, a sound Waylon wasn’t accustomed to hearing coming from the massive Arashian. He was always as quiet as a feline with grace and flow to every movement but the look in his eyes was border on murderous. The same look that was aimed at the twins the day they attacked the astronaut. A low dangerous sound rumbled in his chest, a noise that alerted all others around him to the threat and quickly split to let the furious orphan through. When they neared the medical facility, they came across a handful of regular guards all wearing the same restraints as the doctor. A few were still being muzzled with the tendril harnesses being placed around their torsos. With them were the rest of the medical staff being led by the red sash guards towards the tunnel leading to the main landing platform. The path was heavily guarded, preventing anyone from entering. There was a choke point that intercepted anyone that was headed in the direction of the doctor’s dome and the facility.

 

Eddie made haste with Waylon tucked up against his side, making certain to scent over the human’s neck and around his shoulders before continuing. Waylon’s eyes remained turned down towards the path in a bow of submission as they past a pairing of guards. A low hum rang out of their chests as they turned to spot the direction they were going. Eddie’s residence was far removed from the center of flow in the colony. It looked nothing like the domed housing of all the other inhabitants which made it stand out from the rest.

 

At the sound, Eddie stopped, his grip on Waylon’s waist tightened before turning to address the two guards. He cleared his throat and relayed a few low hums himself. Amidst their conversation, Waylon remained quiet, listening to the different pitches and tones before they fell silent when a chilling voice drifted between them. His blood ran cold, body tensing up as his pale blue hues rose and met the direct gaze of the First Colony Arashi’. His golden sash still tied tightly around his waist as icy blue hues fixed on the smaller blonde. They slowly glided over to the larger male. “You must be that orphan the doctor took in.” His lips drew back into a cold sneer before drifting back towards Waylon. “Is this another of the doctor’s projects or yours?”

 

Eddie’s hand tightened on Waylon, pulling him up close to his side protectively. Eddie’ blue pools were a torrent of stormy seas in his eyes. Conflict swirling and attempting to drown what little reason he had left. “He’s mine.” Waylon’s gaze flitted from the icy gaze towards the guards standing off to the side at attention then lowered them back to the ground. His shoulders drawn to make himself seem much smaller than he already was.

 

“Hm. He has a good sense of who’s in charge.” Blaire’s gaze shifted to Eddie, pinning the orphaned Arashian in place. Like icy spears trying to infect and impale the waves of a raging sea. Eddie refused to back down. “Where are you headed?”

 

“Home.” Eddie’s words were clipped much like his tone. Barely holding in the razor edge glinting each word passing his lips.

 

Blaire looked around, cold hues searching the landscape for a dome in the direction only to fall on the odd spectacle of a housing unit. “Is that it?” He scoffed.

 

“Yes it is.” Eddie’s claws dug into Waylon’s shoulder making the smaller male wince. “Now if you’ve no other business, I believe we’re finished here.” The larger Arashi’ made no move to stop Eddie as he steered Waylon around the trio on the path and continued towards the house. Eddie’s gaze twisted towards the larger Arashi’ while Waylon remained facing straight ahead. He couldn’t have been happier to be on the other side of the doors and back in Eddie’s residence.

 

 

  


They gathered up everything they would need into a couple sacks including supplies, clothing and any additional pieces of tech that Eddie needed. Adorning his holoprojector, he changed into his more human clothing. Waylon did the same, pulling on an altered flight suit made off of the basic design of his old one. Complete with his patches in the correct places. They waited until night fell and the guard patrols were less frequent. Slipping out of the residence with the canvas sacks slung over their shoulders, they quickly made their way along the sides of the dome. Staying away from the main paths with only the soft glow of the domes and the kaleidoscope of stars smattering across the night sky. They were vivid and brilliant but their view was partially eclipsed by the every looming presence of the cargo ship hovering above the colony. Once the others had boarded the ship, it left the platform to hover encase any of the Arcadian Arashi’ had any ideas of freeing the doctor and his compatriots.

 

They had to divert away from the dome when a few patrols neared the open expanse and at one point they were flanked on either side of a set of buildings near Trager’s home. Eddie crouched low and gestured for Waylon to climb up on his back, loading the bags onto the human to hold while the blonde clung to the arashian. His arms snaked around Eddie’s neck and his legs grappling around his torso. The arashian used his newly healed claws to scale the exterior of the dome, crawling up slowly like a massive arachnid as the patrols crossed paths. He worked his way over, crawling on his hands and feet in a canine like position until he was safely on the other side. He placed a hand on Waylon’s back and ensured the human stayed put, nostrils flaring as he could scent of the others. Rushing through the plots of grains and crops throughout the area, he used them for cover, crouching low and stalking through the foliage.

 

Waylon held on tightly when Eddie would sprint across open expanses of pathways, praying they weren’t spotted. A few times they cut it close and Eddie would have to scale the domes to get above and out of sight. His claws scraping lightly across the surface. He hit a patch that was uneven and chipped a nail loosening his grasp for the moment nearly had him sliding back down towards a pair of guards. Holding their breath, Waylon counted the heart beats until they were in the clear. The final jump was to make it across the square and through the orchard.

 

There were no domes to hide behind and no plots of crops to cover them. Just the large clusters of flowers and the Yanno fountain. There were two guards present. Their red sashes a clear indicator against the silvery light of the foot paths. Eddie crouched down and let Waylon off with a pat to the back. The human nodded and held the bags close, watching as the arashian walked towards the guards, stepping out into the open and following the path across the fountain square. The pair of guards turned, giving a low hum towards the young Arashian. He stopped right in front of the fountain as the guards approached, his hand gesturing towards the Yanno statue.

 

The guards glanced between each other then moved closer to the fountain as Eddie pointed out the quills that ran along the back of the massive serpent, the water trickling down softly into the surrounding pool. The guards seemed intrigued and leaning over the edge just as Eddie reached out, grasping one by the back of the neck and slamming their face down into the stone work. A sickening crunch sounded in the quiet night air, making Waylon’s stomach drop as the body went limp on the ground, a colorful smear staining the stones and glowing rocky path. The second guard lunged at Eddie with tendrils extended. Eddie put his hands up to defend himself. The long graspers coiled around his forearms and bound them together. He pulled them up, trying to get away as the Arashian guard grabbed for the baton on his belt.

 

Eddie ducked low and slammed his shoulders into his sternum, twisting his wrists in the tendrils’ hold to take a firm grasp of them with his claws. The arashian was startled, a low hiss rising in the air, choked off as Eddie twisted, whirling on the heel of his foot with a single fluid motion and bending forward, hauling the guard up and over his shoulders by his tendrils and slamming him down into the ground. The guard flailed in the air before all the oxygen was knocked out of his chest. The tendrils released their hold on him as Eddie crouched down, placing his knee against the guard’s throat and holding him firmly in place while he searched his body for the baton. The arashian guard gasped, struggling against Eddie’s frame but soon his eyes rolled back in his head and his body went slack against the ground. He pulled the baton from the dark uniform, flicking his wrist to extend it outwards and let it charge with a soft static crackle.

 

He rose back up to his feet and gestured for Waylon to start moving again. Eddie took his back and slung it over his shoulders just as soft clicks and chirps could be heard shifting back and forth along the paths. They rushed towards the orchard, racing between the trees, merging into the darker portions of the colony. Waylon was rushing ahead when a flash of red caught him off guard, two hands snatched him up by the arms and pulled him off his feet. A low angry hiss rushed out of the arashian guard’s chest. The human tensed, his fingers curling into the palms of his hands, pressing the trigger pads of the Arashi’ vocal device underneath his flight suit. Waylon’s lips pulled back into a snarl as he bared his teeth to look threatening. An even deeper hissing sound came from his chest, startling the arashian guard and causing him to hesitate. It was just enough time for Eddie to catch up, grabbing the arm of the guard and prying it free of Waylon as he drove the electrified end of the baton into the dark scaly portion of the arashian’s neck.

 

The creature shrieked, releasing his hold completely on Waylon as Eddie drew the baton back and whipped it across the guard’s face, letting the form drop to the ground with a slick thud. The colorful fluid pooling into the grass, staining it a myriad of vibrant colors. Eddie pressed a hand to Waylon’s back and urged him to keep moving. A low hiss rumbled out in his chest, blue eyes cold and wild as they scooped up their bags and made it the last of the way to the shed. Eddie opened the door and ushered Waylon inside, giving a quick glance around to ensure no one else was around before locking it from the inside out.

 

Eddie moved the carts out of the way and hurried Waylon through the hatch in the floor. Dropping the bags down to the human before he dropped down below, closing the hatch behind him. The tunnel lit up as they raced through it, making their way to the cavern. Waylon’s legs were shaking and he was breathless by time they reached the platform. Riding it up the shaft as he heaved in big gasps. Finding he hadn’t run this much since the treadmill tests.

 

There was little break in between as the platform met the main floor of the cavern and they rushed across it. The ships were already prepared. Eddie had moved Waylon’s vessel onto a transport craft and locked it in place, the same sort of craft his U’guna uses to haul supplies and salvaged pieces or large loads of rock back and forth, it even had its own thrusters to get it off the ground. There was a series of cables attaching it to the back of the U’guna. The ships were already pointed in the direction where the cavern opens up on the other side of the Colony, opposite the landing platform the cargo ships were in.

 

Eddie piled the last of their supplies into the U’guna before urging Waylon up into the vessel. It was laid out much like Eddie’s residence with a long tubular design with a grated walkway throughout. Underneath the walkway was cargo space allowing for storage without it being in the way and each section of grates could be lifted and moved around to get at the cargo. There was a single pilot’s seat in the cockpit and a series of monitors and screens then two passenger seats behind that. “What about Trager?” Waylon spoke as Eddie climbed up into the U’guna, the door closing behind him.

 

“He’s on his own.” Eddie said coldly, moving to the cockpit to prepare the ship, going through the startup sequence. His hands moving across the dash as he adjusted the thrusters and kept an eye on the engines as they warmed up. The ship was old and not only was Eddie the only one capable of piloting it, he was the only one keeping the hunk of junk flying. Constantly doing maintenance on it and swapping out parts with the bits and pieces he’s collected.

 

Waylon was taken back by the tone of the larger male, taking a step forward, he balled his fists up, triggering the hiss like tone from his chest piece. Eddie wheeled around on the human at the sound, eyes wild and aggressive, staring the blonde down. “We can’t leave him to them. I thought you of all people would want to go rescue him.” He growled.

 

“You think I don’t want to?” Eddie countered. Stepping towards Waylon, nostrils flaring and chest extended in a threatening manner. Waylon stepped back as Eddie continued. “You think it’s not killing me knowing that bastard has my father? The only family I have?” He snapped his teeth at the human. “He knew what he was getting into. He planned for this.” Eddie reached into one of the bags still sitting out where Waylon dropped them. Inside was the doctor’s tablet. At a touch of the screen, a series of words sprung forth, the first time Waylon had ever seen English letters on the device and they were a step by step plan explaining what Eddie was to do. “My job is to go back to earth and hide there with you. He knew they were coming. He knew what he was- _is_ doing.”

 

Waylon looked between the tablet and Eddie. Seeing the stormy blue settle in those conflicted hues, seeing the rainfall that would never be free of those orbs. Tears that would never come. The low drop in his voice as he deflated, his gaze fixed on the tablet. The last thing he had of his father. He could only hope that the elder knew what he was doing.

 

“I’m sorry.” Waylon’s voice was soft, his gaze dropping low to stare at the device. He turned and started taking the vocal piece off, folding it up neatly to be stored away. Leaving him in his normal human clothing once again. “I didn’t mean to- I know you love him. I think he knows that as well.” He turned back to Eddie, fixing the blue flight suit. The larger male nodded slowly in return. “I’ll go get settled in. I’m ready when you are.” Waylon informed softly, watching Eddie a moment more before climbing out of the U’guna and into his vessel.

 

 

 

The lift off out of the cavern was rough. The stabilizers were slow to respond but once they were in the air, everything went much smoother. Eddie was able to form a line of communication with Waylon through the tablet, using the bracelet device to talk back and forth to each other. Waylon wasn’t expecting the warp speed factor and had a minor case of flight sickness by time they reached their destination a few hours later. Eddie warned him about the side effects as it does take some time to adjust to the feeling. He send a communication back to Waylon when they were floating near the area of Waylon’s wreckage.

 

“I don’t have to worry about anymore asteroids, do I?” Waylon asked with a soft groan on his lips, hoping his body would settle itself back out. His fingers still gripping the arm rests of his pilot seat.

 

“Not at all darling. If any do appear, the U’guna’s drill will destroy it.” He explained, the voice coming from the bracelet on the blonde’s wrist. “I use it to mine materials from asteroids often. But we do need to wait a little bit. The engines have to cool before we attempt entry into your atmosphere.”

 

“How long will that take?” Waylon inquired, giving a look out his window as they floated. His breath escaping his chest as he gazed upon the achingly familiar sight. The large blue orb, white swirls of clouds wisping across the surface and green markings rising up. Waylon double checked the coordinates of his original landing point and relayed them to Eddie. “Think you can get me to this area? They should be keeping an eye out for any anomalies in the radar.”

 

“I think I can manage that.” Eddie hummed before their communications went quiet. Waylon did some final preparations as Eddie moved the U’guna into position. With the engines cooled enough, they ship cloaked itself, leaving Waylon’s capsule to appear floating all on its own. “You alright?”

 

“Yeah.” Waylon breathed, strapping his form into place with his body lying flat out to endure the g-force that of reentry. He took a shaky breath. “I’ll see you on the surface, okay?”

 

“Of course darling.” The bracelet went quiet, submerging Waylon into the palpable silence. His heart was already racing as he ticked off the seconds. At first he didn’t realize they had started moving until the turbulence started. The capsule shifted and started moving more frequently. Waylon started to get worried when the insides started heating up. He grasped at the surroundings, closing his eyes as he felt out the rough ride. Sweat trickling down the back of his neck when it became more intense. The capsule felt like it was tumbling around, throwing him in place. His knuckles were white as he held on, pale blue orbs opening to glance out at the windows but could see nothing through the black burned exterior. Then suddenly the capsule jerked as the ELS kicked in, the parachute rising up and the capsule rocketed in at an angle until it finally set on the ground. Waylon continued to hold on as the capsule scraped against the earth, a friendly familiar sound until he returned to silence. The only noise interfering was the loud thrumming of his heart in his ears.

 

He crawled his way over to exit, hoping he wasn’t stuck on the entry side of the capsule. It took a bit of work but he managed to finally force the door open. The seal hissed as fresh air rushed in. The scent of earth and charred exterior. The sides were melted as the heat shield gave way. Most of what had been put together back at the colony was destroyed. He took the first couple shaky steps out, his bare feet pressing into the sun warmed sand, pale blue hues squinting up at the sun, hand pressed over his forehead protectively at the harsher rays present. Gazing around he noted Eddie had hit the mark. He breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes drinking in the endless bright blue skies of earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO.


	18. Part 2- I'm Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylon has returned to Earth and it's time to get used to human life once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I am back with Part 2 of Can Anybody Hear Me?
> 
> I took a break to recharge my batteries for a bit before diving back into this story. I just woke up a couple days ago and these two were so heavily on my mind that I figured it was finally time to get back to telling their story. I hope you enjoy.

It took nearly an hour of waiting for the proper authorities to arrive on the scene of the crash site, the military grade vehicles rolling up as people were deployed to inspect the area. Waylon had never been so happy to see other people, other humans in his life before. It was a breath of fresh air being among normal sized people. To the point it was almost jarring. Everyone was dumbfounded, staring at the ragged expression of the astronaut, curled up in the shade of his pod, greeting them with a weary smile. The whole ordeal had taken a lot out of him, the previous jitters and adrenaline that follows the landing had left him feeling drained. The heat of the sun above, once so welcome had quickly become unbearable compared to the controlled environment back in the colony. His flight suit had been open and tied at the waist, leaving him in the white t-shirt underneath, a hand shielding his pale blue orbs against the bright rays.

 

The authorities collected him quickly, leaving a few people on the scene to secure his pod for later pick up, whatever was left of it. It was still falling apart piece by piece as it sat there. The smoking had stopped, the scent lingering on his person from being so close to it. He was relieved to climb up into the air conditioned vehicle, escorted to the nearest hospital to get checked out. No questions were asked, waiting until his debriefing where he could explain everything. Waylon didn’t mind. He needed time to think. He was looked over by medical personnel, diagnosed with minor dehydration and exhaustion. They gave him an I.V with fluids and a vitamin cocktail to replenish whatever his body was lacking from his mission. He was allowed to get a few hours rest before he was hauled into a meeting room with a dozen of his advisers and superiors, all brimming with questions.

 

He had been gone for over a month, been out of signal range for almost the same amount of time. They tried their best to find him and after two weeks of missing contact, they assumed he was dead. Waylon explained about the asteroids which mission control had picked up on their radar but were incapable of sending warning to Waylon in the appropriate amount of time. There was radio interference on their end. Everything was boiled down to a freak accident and Waylon’s survival was a miracle. He explained that he had been injured during that time, showing the scar on his forehead, still prominent on his skin but hidden beneath the shaggy blonde locks. He told them how he tried to fix his pod as much as he could while working on getting back into position to try and return to earth. It was a gamble to enter orbit in his ship’s condition but miraculously, he survived that. Though, had it lasted even a few minutes longer, he would have been cooked alive inside.

 

The debriefing ended with more questions than answers but Waylon gave as much as he could without mentioning or alluding to Eddie and the Colony. He had been terrified when that asteroid hit him. He thought this would be how he dies, lost in the voids of space with nobody ever knowing what really happened to him. It was an experience he didn’t want to relive if he could help it. He just wanted to go home. Which brought up a new issue altogether.

 

Home.

 

Home was a small suburban house in Texas, a temporary enough dwelling for work with his upcoming mission. Within it, was his girlfriend, or well, apparently now ex. As he came to find out, upon discovery of his supposed death, her faith in his return had dwindled and she moved on. When Waylon showed up on the news with his return, he was greeted back in the states by his ex-girlfriend’s open arms, still pretending that everything was alright. He had been warned by one of his coworkers before they left the east to return to the States about what was happening. In earnest, a lot for him had changed since his mission began. The mad in love feelings he had before he departed were no longer present inside him. He was actually relieved to find out that she had moved on. It made it easier for them in the following days as he packed his things up. He had another home, one out in the mountains of Colorado where he was from. Not too far from Red Rocks and Denver, heading up higher in the mountains where the forest was thicker and the people further away. He didn’t mind people, but he had always been a little less social, preferring to keep to himself and his hobbies with the peace and quiet of the crisp mountain air.

 

The house resembled a large log cabin, with high ceilings and massive double doors. It was his family's lodge before it landed in his possession, keeping it in the back of his mind for idle trips between work to escape the city life in Texas and return to his roots. He gave the house in Texas to Lisa, letting her and her new boyfriend stay there but he was keeping the lodge. It was a sound enough agreement.

 

It had been two weeks since his return to earth when he finally settled into his home. He knew Eddie was keeping tabs on his tracker, it was a feeling that rose every time he gave it a wayward glance, fingers finding the smooth silver of the bracelet in a comforting reminder. Now, everything had calmed down and he was given time to decompress and acclimate to society and surface life. It wasn’t like other missions that last for years but it was stressful and jarring enough, even with what little the others knew, that they understood his desire to return to his home roots. It was late at night when he rubbed his fingers over the silver piece, triggering the sensory link as he murmured. “It’s time to come home.”

 

He wasn’t certain how long it would be before Eddie appeared. Half expecting it to take days or longer. He wasn’t expecting the knock on his door not even a full hour later. He opened it, giving the large silhouette filling out the threshold a strange glance. It was pitch black outside, the stars in the sky barely recognizable compared to the view from the colony. The moon supplied a soft pale light to shine down through cloud coverage, illuminating the backdrop of thick forest surrounding. Yet, none of it could compare to the striking blue jewels staring down at him, lips quirked up with relief and barely controlled excitement. Waylon’s own pulled into a large grin, arms open in greeting, ushering Eddie inside.

 

Eddie lunged for his precious human, pulling him up into his arms, letting his bags drop in the doorway, abandoned and forgotten in lieu of smothering Waylon with affection. With the holoprojector in place, Waylon couldn’t see the colors portrayed on the arashian’s skin, but he knew they must have been going wild beneath the illusion with happiness at their reunion. Eddie held him tightly, almost painfully so as he rubbed his cheek against the human, his tongue already slithering out to cover him in his scent and renew his presence over the smaller male. Waylon let it happen, simply because it was familiar and he honestly really missed the giant arashian and his little quirks.

 

With a little bit of persuasion, he managed to get Eddie to bring his bags inside, locking the door behind them as they moved deeper into the house. It was big, with an open floor layout with intricately carved wood interior, giving it the feel of the forest. There was even a few trees planted around to add to the feeling. Large glass windows peered out into the woods on all sides, with balconies on the upper floor looking out at the beautiful mountain landscape. There was a large stairwell that went up to the second floor where the bedrooms were, each had massive glass windows with a walk out to the balcony, a common habit for Waylon in early mornings. Watching the sun rise over the mountain peaks as he sipped at his coffee letting the quiet and serenity melt away his worries.

 

The lodge was a family project that was left to him as part of his inheritance. His family wasn’t wealthy but they had all pooled in together to spend long weekends away from the busy city life. It became a gathering place for holidays and special occasions, or just brief escapes to decompress and return to a more peaceful time. The place was brimming with memories. A good majority of the building was crafted and built by his grandfather and uncles on his mother’s side. He was an only child and one of few living members of the family that cared enough to keep the place up. In the end, when his grandfather passed away, it went to him and he’s cherished it since. That only increased now, since it was the only place he and Eddie could hide away at without arousing suspicion.

 

It was also very hard to find a human dwelling with ceilings big enough for Eddie to move comfortably around. If it wasn’t for the extravagant style of his grandfather, the place might have ended up as just a minor cramped cabin in the woods. Instead, it was huge, meant mostly to accommodate the giant pine trees they would chop down in the nearby forest and put up every Christmas. His grandfather was the living embodiment of ‘go big or go home’. But at the same time, he was modest about it. The lodge was something special he wanted to go all out on because it would be a family practice and a place for them to grow and nurture many fond memories.

 

Waylon didn’t think these were the kind of memories his grandfather had in mind though, as the human directed the Arashian up the large wooden staircase and into the master bedroom. The arashian refused to put him down, too absorbed in rescenting him to want to let go, even as they crashed over into the bed. The thick mahogany frame creaked with the strain of their combined weight, reminding Waylon that human furniture wasn’t built to withstand a four hundred plus pound Arashian.

 

Eddie wasn’t content to settle down until Waylon’s t-shirt was off and discarded to the side, allowing him to scent his human more completely. Waylon had become so accustomed to the sensation of the long tongue across his body like a feline grooming it’s young, that he relaxed down into the mattress and let the being do as it pleased. The action managed to lull him to sleep, going limp in the arashian’s hold while he was nuzzled, gathered up into Eddie’s arms by the end as they both gave in for the night. Eddie was content with his triumph, holding the human tucked against him protectively. Something he had itched to do for the two weeks they were apart.

  
  


Acclimating to living among people again was easy enough for Waylon, given he spent most of his time in the lodge. Getting used to living with Eddie again was easy, until the furniture started breaking under him. The bed had been a brief warning but it had slipped his mind since it was still in one piece when he woke up the next morning. He wiggled his way out of the Arashian’s hold to continue his morning routine of a shower and a cup of coffee. He strutted around with the towel hanging around his shoulders still, catching the droplets falling from his shaggy blonde locks. A pair of sweatpants hanging from his hips as he went to the kitchen to start the fresh earthy brew. It was one of the things he missed most in his absence and relished in it every single day.

 

He heard the Arashian make his way down to the kitchen while he sipped at the mug of coffee in hand. The floor creaked and groaned audibly with the motions, the only sound that arose in Eddie’s footsteps before he shuffled into the kitchen, giving a curious look around as he rubbed the back of his neck. His blue orbs glossed over the damp and disheveled appearance of the human so casually roaming around his own home. Eddie still seemed to fit in rather well with the surroundings, taking on Waylon’s home as his as well. Which it was, though it was amusing to watch the other inspect the brewing pot as if it would jump out at him as it puffed out steam at the end of the process, making audible sounds. He moved around behind his human and started scenting the back of his neck by rubbing his cheek against the exposed skin. The pads of his palms roaming over his torso to layer on his pheromones like before, claws subtly dragging across Waylon’s rib cage as quiet hums and clicks left Eddie’s throat.

 

Waylon hummed back in automatic response, too absorbed in his coffee to care. After a moment, he set the mug down and gestured for the arashian to take a seat at the open bar that split the kitchen up from the rest of the room. This was the first sign of a problem as Eddie placed his weight on the fragile stools, the wooden beams snapped immediately, causing it to crumble beneath him. Waylon jolted in surprise at the sound as the arashian caught himself before landing on his rear, giving the stool a mournful look. “I’m sorry darling.” Eddie spoke up quickly, eyes flickering over to the smaller human, expecting him to be upset about it.

 

Waylon sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he shook his head. “It’s alright. It’s not your fault.” He waved it off, offering a smile of reassurance. “They’re not meant for anything bigger than a human.” He explained, giving the rest of his home a curious thought. A majority of the furniture wasn’t meant for large amounts of weight. He considered this before gesturing for Eddie to take a seat at one of the large couches in the living room. It was made of stronger wood, resembling the same strength as his bed frame, draped in plush black leather cushions for comfort. The arashian was able to comfortably seat himself on it without any problems greater than a soft groan in the wood.

 

Waylon made them breakfast which they sat in the living room and ate. It was awkward on Eddie’s end with his knees close to his chest, balancing the tiny plate in his lap. His legs stretched out as much as he could without it being obnoxious. The couch being of normal height for Waylon to easily get up and down from, might as well have had Eddie sitting on the floor at this rate.

 

About the third time the Arashian took a seat in it that day, the frame cracked under his weight, the strain finally becoming too much. Eddie gave another apologetic look to Waylon who waved it off. He would need to take a trip into the city for higher grade furniture. Something that won’t break so easily under the other. They made due with just sitting on the floor after that, using the cushions Waylon gathered from the spare bedrooms to make a giant pile in the middle of the living room. They moved the furniture out of the way and got comfortable with the gathering of blankets and pillows. Something of which Eddie seemed more delighted in then Waylon had first anticipated but as long as the Arashian was happy, he was pleased as well.


End file.
